» Psalm 24:1 Biblical Perspectives On Narcissism

.

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

Isaiah 14:12-14

The above passage is well-known as referring to satan, the devil, lucifer, beelzebub, or one of the other names used for one of God’s top angels who out of pride thought he could be be like God. To be in such close proximity to God, to see His power and glory, and to think that you could be like God — and then attempt to do it – was the height of arrogance. (See here for how according to the Bible, narcissism = insolent pride.)

And the devil said to Him [Jesus], “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

Luke 4:6-8

Satan also showed his true nature when one of the 3 temptations he presented to Jesus was designed to force Jesus to worship him. Satan could have offered any other temptation, but was was so proud, arrogant, and haughty that he took the moment of Jesus’ physical weakness from fasting to take a shot at getting what he really wanted – to be the #1 being. He wanted somehow to be above God. Narcissists will NEVER stop trying to exalt themselves until they are #1 in “their world”, with some even attempting to be “king of the world”. They will use whatever opportunities they are presented with to continue working toward that goal.

Notice in the above passage that Satan claimed the earth was his to give. This was a deluded and arrogant lie, as the earth was definitely not his to give. Satan knew Psalm 24:1 – that the earth and world belonged to God, not him.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

.

Psalm 24:1

.

This is a classic Narcissist trait – to co-opt other’s work, authority, rights as their own – as part of their self-aggrandizement and self-exaltation.

Further confirming that satan was the original narcissist – one with insolent pride – was the direct link Jesus made between the Big narcissist (Satan) and the earthly examples of narcissists in His time – the Pharisees. (See here and here how we know that the Pharisees were narcissists / filled with insolent pride).

You (Pharisees) are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He (satan, the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

* Narcissist is the modern colloquial term for what the Bible calls “insolent pride” please see here for an explanation

Click here for initial steps on how to know God personally