How did Lucifer become the devil?
God originally made the angels to serve and help him. They were created beings originally created good. But, soon after the sixth day of creation, there was a rebellion of angels led by one of the greatest ones named Lucifer. There are two passages that give insight about all this: Isaiah 14:12-15, and Ezekiel 28:12-18. Though these passages specifically talk about the kings of Babylon and Tyre, respectively, they are types (symbols) of the devil. Isaiah 14:12 calls this creature “O Morning Star”, which was translated as Lucifer in the Latin (Vulgate) version.
In Ezekiel 28:12-14 God says about him, “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God … Your settings and mountings were made of gold on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.” There are different ranks of angels. Lucifer was of the highest rank “created”, “a guardian cherub”, “full of wisdom”, “perfect in beauty.” Don’t ever get the idea that Satan is co-equal and co-eternal with God. No. God is an eternal uncreated being. God is God. No one created him. The devil is a created being.
How then did Lucifer become the devil? Ezekiel 28:16-17 describes Lucifer’s fall: “Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth.”
He was corrupted when his “heart became proud”. Though he had incredible authority, beauty, and power, he wanted more. He wanted that which belonged to God alone. The root reason for his fall was pride, as confirmed in 1 Timothy 3:6.
Jesus, being the second member of the Trinity witnessed this fall first hand, for he said about the devil, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven” (Luke 10:18). When Satan rebelled against God, he incited a third of the angels to join him in this rebellion, according to Revelation 12:4.
We deduce that this event must have been sometime after the creation week, for after God created everything, Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). So, at the end of the creation week, everything is perfect, including the angels. Yet, when we come to Genesis 3, Satan is seen tempting Eve, leading our first parents astray into sin. So, sometime after the creation week, and before the events of Genesis 3, the fall and rebellion of Lucifer must have taken place.
Through Satan is corrupt and leads the whole world astray, there is hope. When Jesus came into the world, through his death and resurrection, it says in Colossians 2:15, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Jesus disarmed Satan’s powers, and when we trust in Jesus to save us, we are delivered from Satan’s powers. Colossians 1:13 says, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” One day, in the future, after Jesus returns, and after the millennial reign, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire where he will be imprisoned forever. Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Perhaps an illustration from history would help. June 6, 1944 was a famous day in history. It has become known as D-Day, when the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from the Nazi occupation commenced. It involved the coordination of 156,000 troops by air and by sea, landing in Normandy, France. D-Day was the start of Allied operations which would ultimately liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany and end the Second World War. D-day wasn’t however the end of the war. It was the beginning of the end. But it wasn’t until May 8, 1945 that the war was officially over. That became known as VE (Victory in Europe.) Day. On that day the Allies formally accepted the unconditionally surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Hitler’s Third Reich.
The death of Jesus on the cross and the ensuing resurrection could be compared to God’s D-Day. It was the decisive battle that brought the initial defeat to Satan. Satan’s powers were broken and defeated. When Christ returns, and ultimately after the thousand year reign, at which point Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, the complete eradication and victory on earth will be experienced. At that point, God will then create a new earth, free from sin, Satan, death, and suffering (see Revelation 21:1-4). Satan may be strong, but God is stronger. He may be cunning, but God is wiser. He may be powerful, but God is more powerful and ultimately God’s victory plans will prevail.
