Article Five: The God-Complex

"A god complex is a non-clinical term generally used to describe an individual who consistently believes he or she can accomplish more than is humanly possible or that their opinion is automatically above those with whom he or she may disagree. The individual may believe he or she is above the rules of society and should be given special consideration or privileges." - Wikipedia

---

From the beginning, Satan has enticed man into believing that he (man) can become like God (Read Genesis 3:1-5).  People with big egos easily fall into this trap. Some people God puts into power have tended to develop grandiose ideas about themselves beyond measure.

The "god-complex" may infect the head of a family, an office manager, the owner of a business, or the head of state. It can even infect a child out on a playground. The ego of the one with power grows to the point where he or she begins to look upon themselves as gods over the ones under their authority or in their immediate vicinity. This is very dangerous, especially when it comes to government officials.

When a person comes to power by God's will and has an ego that causes him or her to run amok with the lives of others, he must be stopped, and God will stop him, eventually. Daniel 11: 36-45 of the bible describes such a person:

"He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and say unheard of things against the God of gods." But, God will bring him to his end (Read Daniel 11:45.)

In 2 Thessalonians 2, the Anti-Christ will come (this is a person, not an institution or corporation). This man is the ultimate manifestation of someone with the "god-complex". Verse 4 says:

"He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple proclaiming himself to be God." In the end, he will be stopped by Jesus Christ.

Daniel 11:36-45 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 appear to be describing the same individual, but we see that the individual described in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 will appear just before the return of Jesus Christ. Revelations 13: 16-18 also describes the Anti-Christ and his tyranny over the inhabitants of the earth, however, here he's called the Beast.

In earlier articles, I wrote about biblical kings who exalted themselves beyond measure and how God brought them down to size. In our modern era, I can name Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and Idi Amin as examples of world leaders who had the deadly god-complex.

In Ezekiel 28:1-9, read what the LORD said and did to the king of Tyre, who thought of himself as a god.