Satan’s Downfall

Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
–Ezekiel 28:17

In Ezekiel 28, we learn four important facts about Satan. First, he is a created being–he has a beginning and an end. Second, Satan held an impressive office in God’s kingdom. Look at verse 14: “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire.” Now when God said, “You were the anointed cherub,” He was not referring to Satan’s plump pink cheeks. He was referring to a special class of angels who had the job of protecting the holiness of God. The Bible says that Satan was in charge of all of the other cherubim. In other words, Satan was God’s gatekeeper. He was the one who decided who got in to see God and who could not. It was a very high position.

Third, Satan possessed incomparable wisdom and beauty. Look at verse 17: “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.” Originally, Satan’s name was Lucifer, meaning “star of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12). When Lucifer was cast out of heaven for his rebellion against God, he did not give up his attributes. Even though he is God’s chief antagonist today, Satan still possesses beauty, wisdom, and splendor, which makes him a very dangerous enemy. The fact that he is beautiful means that he is very appealing to people. He does not appear as that little figure in the red suit with a pitchfork. Who is going to follow after a clown like that? No, Satan is very beautiful, very appealing, and very smart. He is a crafty, scheming opponent. And that is why we better understand who he is and his plan to destroy our faith, our family, and our future.

Fourth, Satan’s pride led to his downfall. Ezekiel 28:16-17 says, “By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you.” You see, Satan forgot he was a creature. He began to think that he was responsible for his beauty, his splendor, and his wisdom. Don’t ever think that any good thing in your life is because of something you have done. Paul asked in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” Any good thing in your life is a result of either what God or other people have done for you. Satan forgot that. He thought he was responsible for his beauty, his splendor, and his wisdom, and that pride metastasized into outright rebellion against God. That is always what happens to pride. Whenever we think we are responsible for the good things in our life, then we think we do not have to bow down to anyone, including God Himself. That is exactly what happened with Satan.

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “The Purpose-Driven Strife” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2010.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.