Firstly, Satan is a title, not a name. “Satan” means “accuser” and this is the primary role of Lucifer, the king of the prince of the air.
While the passage below speaks as judgement over Babylon, it is largely believed that this is the story of Satan being cast out of heaven and judged (Luke 10:18). He rebelliously and boldly asserted himself with five “I wills”:
“I will ascend to heaven and [I will] set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and [I will] be like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. ¹⁶ Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, ¹⁷ the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?” (Isaiah 14:13-17)
In Luke 10, Jesus describes how Satan was cast down as lightning, indicating his preeminence.
There is another passage, this one in Ezekiel 28, which speaks of the king of Tyre - a once glorious nation. However, it is believed to be speaking to him as if he were Satan himself. In this passage, we find interesting facts:
- Satan was considered the image of perfection, absolutely full of wisdom and beauty
- Satan was in the Garden of Eden (duh, we know this, Gen 3)
- “Every precious stone adorned [him],” meaning he was as beautiful as all earthly treasures combined
- His primary role in Eden was as a guardian cherub, and that was his role from the start
- He was righteous and blameless until he fell
- His primary sin was pride over his appearance and his wisdom became twisted by that pride
- As punishment, he was cast out of God’s presence and his very passions (“fire”) consumed him
- He was made a display of and will eventually be removed entirely
Important
What can be gleaned from this? Well, firstly, to watch out for pride. It twists what wisdom we do have and turns it into something that gradually persuades us more and more away from the presence of God. Further, we should be reminded of our place. We are all made for a purpose and straying from that can have dire consequences. We should remain humble in our post and guard it intently.
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