Arrogance is a destructive trait that distances us from God and blinds us to our own faults. The Bible repeatedly warns against pride, emphasizing that a haughty spirit leads to downfall. God desires humility in His people, for He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we exalt ourselves, we risk humiliation, but when we walk in humility, God lifts us up in due time.
As Christians, we are called to follow Christ’s example of humility, seeking not our own glory but the will of the Father. Arrogance hinders spiritual growth, disrupts relationships, and breeds contempt. In contrast, humility fosters peace, wisdom, and divine favor. Those who humble themselves before God experience His guidance and blessings.
The Bible is filled with warnings about the dangers of pride and the rewards of humility. True greatness in God’s kingdom is not found in self-exaltation but in a heart that serves others. When we choose humility, we align ourselves with God’s will and open the door to His favor. But when we allow arrogance to take root, we invite downfall and separation from His presence.
Preachers Quotes
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.” – C.S. Lewis
“We never see sin aright until we see it as against God… all sin is against God in this sense: that it is His law that is broken, His authority that is despised, His government that is set at nought.” – J.C. Ryle
“God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves.” – Dwight L. Moody
“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” – Andrew Murray
“The only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us in our daily conduct.” – Andrew Murray
“It is an undoubted truth that every man naturally loves himself best. If, therefore, he loves God better than himself, he must be transformed by the renewing of his mind.” – Jonathan Edwards
“Pride lifts up one’s heart against God. It contends for supremacy with Him.” – Matthew Henry
You might also be interested in: Bible verses about Hatred Towards Others
Bible Verses About Arrogance
Proverbs 16:18 – The danger of pride
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” – Proverbs 16:18
James 4:6 – God resists the proud
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” – James 4:6
Proverbs 8:13 – God hates pride
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” – Proverbs 8:13
1 Peter 5:5 – Be clothed with humility
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” – 1 Peter 5:5
Luke 18:14 – The humble are exalted
“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Luke 18:14
Proverbs 29:23 – Pride brings low
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” – Proverbs 29:23
Isaiah 2:12 – The Lord will humble the proud
“For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low.” – Isaiah 2:12
Romans 12:3 – Do not think too highly of yourself
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” – Romans 12:3
Philippians 2:3 – Esteem others better than yourself
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” – Philippians 2:3
Obadiah 1:3 – Arrogance deceives
“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’” – Obadiah 1:3
Proverbs 11:2 – Humility brings wisdom
“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” – Proverbs 11:2
Psalm 138:6 – The Lord respects the lowly
“Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.” – Psalm 138:6
Mark 7:22 – Arrogance defiles
“Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” – Mark 7:22
Proverbs 21:4 – A proud heart is sin
“A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin.” – Proverbs 21:4
Jeremiah 9:23 – Do not boast in yourself
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches.’” – Jeremiah 9:23
Daniel 4:37 – God humbles the proud
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” – Daniel 4:37
Matthew 23:12 – The humble will be exalted
“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:12
Psalm 10:4 – The proud do not seek God
“The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” – Psalm 10:4
Proverbs 6:16-17 – God hates a proud look
“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.” – Proverbs 6:16-17
Isaiah 13:11 – The Lord punishes arrogance
“I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” – Isaiah 13:11
Psalm 31:23 – God repays the proud
“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.” – Psalm 31:23
Ecclesiastes 7:8 – Patience is better than pride
“The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” – Ecclesiastes 7:8
Proverbs 14:3 – The mouth of the proud destroys them
“In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.” – Proverbs 14:3
Psalm 119:21 – The proud are cursed
“You rebuke the proud—the cursed, who stray from Your commandments.” – Psalm 119:21
1 Corinthians 1:28-29 – No flesh should glory
“And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” – 1 Corinthians 1:28-29
Job 40:12 – Look on the proud and bring them low
“Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; tread down the wicked in their place.” – Job 40:12
Habakkuk 2:4 – The proud are not upright
“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” – Habakkuk 2:4
Zephaniah 3:11 – God will remove the proud
“In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain.” – Zephaniah 3:11
2 Timothy 3:2 – Arrogance in the last days
“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” – 2 Timothy 3:2
Psalm 101:5 – The proud will not stand
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.” – Psalm 101:5
2 Chronicles 32:26 – Hezekiah humbled himself
“Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” – 2 Chronicles 32:26
Romans 12:16 – Do not be wise in your own opinion
“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” – Romans 12:16
Isaiah 57:15 – God dwells with the humble
“For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” – Isaiah 57:15
Micah 6:8 – Walk humbly with your God
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8
Job 22:29 – God saves the humble
“When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person.” – Job 22:29
Proverbs 3:34 – The Lord gives grace to the humble
“Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble.” – Proverbs 3:34
Psalm 18:27 – God brings down the haughty
“For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.” – Psalm 18:27
Isaiah 66:2 – God looks upon the humble
“For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” – Isaiah 66:2
Luke 1:52 – The proud are put down
“He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.” – Luke 1:52
Galatians 6:3 – Self-deception through pride
“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” – Galatians 6:3
If you’re interested, here’s another article on: Bible verses about Wicked Government
What does the Bible say about Arrogance
The Bible speaks a lot about arrogance and pride, warning us about its dangers. Arrogance is when someone thinks too highly of themselves, believing they are better, wiser, or more important than others. This kind of attitude is dangerous because it separates us from God and from people. The Bible teaches that God is against the proud but helps those who are humble.
One of the most well-known verses about arrogance is Proverbs 16:18, which says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This means that when someone is full of pride, they are headed for trouble. History and the Bible show that many people who became too proud ended up losing everything.
God hates arrogance because it leads to sin. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” When people are arrogant, they stop listening to God and start trusting in their own wisdom. This makes them disobey Him, and that always leads to problems.
The Bible also shows that God brings down those who are proud. Isaiah 2:12 says, “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low.” No matter how powerful or successful a person becomes, if they are arrogant, God will humble them.
This happened to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 when he became proud and thought he was greater than God. God took away his power and made him live like an animal until he repented. Jesus also warned about arrogance. In Luke 18:14, He said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” He taught that we should be like servants, not seeking to be first, but willing to serve others.
God calls us to be humble. James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” This means that when we choose humility, God gives us His help and blessings. But when we are arrogant, we push God away. In the end, arrogance leads to destruction, but humility brings honor. The Bible tells us to walk humbly, trust in God, and treat others with kindness, knowing that all we have comes from Him.