Should a Christian have swag / swagger?

Answer

To swagger is to walk, strut, or behave in an overly confident and usually aggressive manner. To have swagger is to possess an air of arrogance or selfish pride. The Bible frequently addresses arrogance, haughtiness, and pride, portraying them as negative traits. In Mark 7:20–23, pride is listed alongside adultery and murder. An arrogant demeanor demonstrates a lack of concern for God’s will because all actions and thoughts are self-centered “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” (2 Timothy 3:2).

Proverbs 6:16–19 enumerates seven things that the Lord detests. The first is “haughty eyes” or “a proud look” (KJV). Displaying a proud look is akin to what we might term as swaggering, and it is deemed “detestable” to the Lord. Haughty eyes (or swagger) are identified as sin in Proverbs 21:4, along with a proud heart. Swaggering involves scorning or “looking down on” others, a behavior that God prohibits.

God’s Word assures that the arrogant will face punishment (Proverbs 16:5; Isaiah 13:11). One can envision Lucifer swaggering before God in heaven, boasting of his own greatness before his downfall. Lucifer’s pride resulted in eternal punishment: his expulsion from his exalted heavenly position (Isaiah 14:12-15) and his confinement to the lake of fire “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever,” (Revelation 20:10). The conduct of the evil one should not be emulated by a believer in Christ.

Read (John 8:39-47).

Instead of displaying an arrogant swagger, believers should look to Jesus Christ’s humility as an example for their own lives “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”, (Hebrews 4:15). If anyone in history could rightfully have claimed personal importance, it was Jesus. However, Philippians 2:6–8 tells us that Jesus Christ, though “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” We are to “have the same mindset” (verse 5).

A follower of Christ does not swagger with prideful arrogance in his step or boast in self-worth based on his own accomplishments, heritage, or skills. Speaking of Gentiles being “grafted” into the church, Romans 11:18 says, “Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”

Rather than selfishly swaggering, Christians may boast in the One who grants us salvation (1 Corinthians;2 Corinthians 10:17;cf: Psalm 34:2;Jeremiah 9:24). It is the Lord who gives grace “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”, (James 4:6), the ability to accomplish God’s will “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”, (Philippians 4:13), being part of a spiritual family (John 1:12-13), and receiving all good gifts “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”, (James 1:17). Christians can take pride and have confidence rooted in God’s Word, His power, and His character—He who created us, saved us, and guides us daily.

The Christian life should not be marked by superiority or arrogance. Instead, a Christian should be recognized for imitating Jesus Christ with a humble, compassionate, and merciful attitude. Believers are new creations “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”, (2 Corinthians 5:17), and following salvation (Acts 16:30-31) comes the process of sanctification (John 17), which involves the gradual death of self “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”, (1 Corinthians 1:30). With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”, (Romans 8:9), we can choose humility over arrogance, selflessness over selfishness, and meekness over swagger.