For those living with or around a narcissist, while there are ways to minimize harm, the greatest need is the transformation of the narcissist’s heart—not a change in how you relate to him. By the Lord’s grace, the true God has been known to change self-worshipping people at least a time or two: consider Manasseh (2 Chron. 33:10-16) and the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-19) as examples. While the situation with narcissism may feel dire, and often can be, Christ’s arm is not too weak to save the self-idolater from himself.

Narcissism on the Rise

Narcissism has been on the rise for years, with more people discussing it and social media seemingly contributing to its growth. Diagnoses are increasing, and narcissistic tendencies within our culture are becoming more pronounced. At its most basic level, narcissism is an excessive focus on oneself. While “excessive” may be open to interpretation and cultural sensitivities, it is clear to those of us in the church and the counseling room that conversations about narcissism are becoming more common. Readers may even be able to list individuals in their lives who could readily be described as narcissistic.

Connecting Narcissism to Biblical Terminology

For all the attention on narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder in our current culture, it is straightforward to see how the issue relates to biblical principles. Narcissism is but a half-step away from the concept of pride. More jarringly, it is an idolization of oneself. This is where we will focus our attention. Narcissism is, quite simply, idolatry. Instead of worshipping the God of the universe, narcissists make themselves the god of their own universe, creating a reality centered entirely on them.

Narcissism and Idolatry

For those who have a narcissist in their lives, try applying this paradigm of idolatry and see how it fits. It provides a biblical lens through which to view all the narcissist’s behaviors. For the sake of illustration, we will refer to the narcissistic individual using masculine pronouns, but women can obviously struggle with this level of self-idolatry, too. However, for our present purposes, “he” will suffice.

Idolatry of self says, “I am god. All should worship me.” The narcissist navigates life as though he is always right. He would never admit it outright, but this is how he lives. After all, everyone must serve god, and as long as people serve him, all is well. When people refuse to serve this “god,” he feels the need to instill fear in those who do not submit to his wishes—though this intimidation may manifest in various ways. This is why narcissism and abuse so often go hand in hand. These demonstrations of superiority are meant to ensure that those under his influence continue to serve him.

Worship Practices

The narcissist’s entire world revolves around him.

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