How Did Lucifer Fall? (2024)

Most Christians, if asked, will tell you that Lucifer is a “fallen angel,” a spirit being that rebelled against God. The specifics of this fall are, sadly, not very well understood. Let’s examine those specifics with the goal in mind to better understand our adversary.

Who Is Lucifer?

The common belief of most Christians is that Lucifer is an angel. However, this may be a case of oversimplification. Scripture speaks of a variety of spirit beings. Among them are angels, Seraphim, Cherubim, and demons. Nowhere do we find Seraphim and Cherubim described as angels, but rather as a seemingly separate species of spirit being fulfilling a specific function.

It is merely tradition that lumps all of these spirit beings into the category of angels. Certainly, Christians are free to believe these are all angels if they wish, as it does not undermine the gospel to do so, but precision should always be preferred to loose theological concepts since they can lead to heresy.

Isaiah 14:12-23 and Ezekiel 28:12-19, speaking of the Kings of Babylon and Tyre respectively, have been accepted as holding a special theological importance to Christians, in that they also reveal some key information about Lucifer, since some of the comments made would make no sense if applied to those rulers.

The Church Fathers Tertullian and Origen held to this position, and it is the majority position of today’s theologians. In Isaiah 14, a ruler is described as the “shining one,” who was prideful and arrogant, desiring to be like God.

Ezekiel describes a ruler who had the “seal of perfection” and was “full of wisdom and beauty,” even dwelling on the “mountain of God.” Scripture goes on to explain that this ruler was created with beautiful gemstones, and even music, as part of his very character. The specifics of these data points cannot be applied to either of the human kings the prophets were speaking to.

As Origen wrote: “We find in the prophet Ezekiel two prophecies written of the king of Tyre. The second is clearly of such a kind that it cannot be at all understood about a man. It must refer to some superior power who had fallen away from a higher position and had been reduced to a lower and worse condition.”

However, the connection of this information to the Genesis account of the serpent (shining one) deceiving Eve, is very clear. Ezekiel gives us an important clue as to who he is referring to when he calls this ruler “the anointed cherub who covers,” and that he “walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones” on the mountain of God.

Isaiah calls this cherub Lucifer (light-bearer), a clear connection to the “shining one.” The picture that emerges of Lucifer is that of an incredibly beautiful spirit being, a covering cherub who served at the very throne of God, who became prideful and arrogant, allowing iniquity to form within himself.

In his pride, he rebelled against God, taking a third of the angelic hosts with him in his attempt to replace the Almighty, usurping the throne of his Creator for himself. He was cast down to earth, along with his co-conspirators, where they all move around the planet, attempting to destroy lives and lead souls to hell (1 Peter 5:8).

Was Pride His Downfall?

Lucifer’s core sin is that of pride. Unfortunately, that sin is very much a part of the fabric of human existence as well. The funny thing about pride is that, rather than shining the spotlight on our virtues, it actually works to emphasize our character defects.

It can distance you from people who might otherwise care for you or seek your counsel. Nobody wants to go to a know-it-all for advice, nor do they want to associate with someone who thinks and acts like they are better than others.

Pride often springs out of jealousy or envy of others, which is also a sin. We should consider the example of John the Baptist, who when he was informed of the works of Jesus, simply accepted that Jesus would now take the spotlight (Mark 1:4-5).

John did not grow jealous, nor in his pride assert his role as a prophet in order to downplay the role of Christ, but simply understood his role in the overall will of the Lord. Martin Hawley, Senior Pastor at South Bay Bible Church writes that any power, prestige, or possessions we have been given to us by God for His glory and benefit.

He explains that power, prestige, and possessions must be understood in the context of stewardship, the temporary nature of these things, and accountability before God and our brothers and sisters,

“The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. Before every meeting, at every closing, as you walk out of the mall; when you look in the mirror and think you’re something; when you drive up to your house and get out of your car; when you see someone with less; when you see someone who is not as (fill in the blank) as you are … Say it. Pray it. Whisper it. Tell your pride, ‘The Most High is sovereign over all the kingdoms …’ Remind your pride that it’s all a stewardship. It’s all temporary. You’re accountable for what you have received.”

Proverbs 16:18 warns us of the ultimate price paid by the prideful and the dreadful end for those who permit pride to consume them.

Why Does This Matter?

Christ taught us that those who in their pride desire to be first, to be recognized as the best or the greatest, who want a pat on the back, demand a trophy for every performance or win, will be the absolute last in the kingdom of God (Mark 9:35; 10:43).

Rather than take pride in our gifts, we should allow them to humble us, reminding ourselves that as sinners we are deserving of nothing, earned nothing good we possess and must render glory to God through those things and humble ourselves before both God and man.

For further reading:

Why Was Lucifer, Satan, Cast Out of Heaven and Banished to Hell?

Who Is the Father of Lies?

Did Satan Have Free Will?

What Makes Pride a Sin?

Did Evil Exist Before Adam and Eve Sinned?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/dzika_mrowka

J. Davila-Ashcraftis an Anglican priest, Theologian, and Apologist, and holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from God’s Bible College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a recognized authority on the topic of exorcism, and in that capacity has contributed to and/or appeared on programming for The National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, and CNN. He is the host of Expedition Truth, a one-hour apologetics radio talk show.

How Did Lucifer Fall? (2024)

FAQs

How Did Lucifer Fall? ›

Lucifer, another spirit son of God, rebelled against the plan's reliance on agency and proposed an altered plan that negated agency. Thus he became Satan, and he and his followers were cast out of heaven.

What was Lucifer's downfall? ›

Latter-day Saint theology teaches that in a heavenly council, Lucifer rebelled against the plan of God the Father and was subsequently cast out.

What is Lucifer's real name before he fell? ›

Overview. Samael is a fallen archangel who was banished from Heaven after attempting a failed rebellion against his father, being sent to Hell as its new ruler and later changing his name to Lucifer. He holds a deep resentment towards his father for banishing him, as well as his mother for doing nothing to stop it.

Why did the angels fall from Heaven? ›

The fallen angels are named after entities from both Christian and Pagan mythology, such as Moloch, Chemosh, Dagon, Belial, Beelzebub and Satan himself. Following the canonical Christian narrative, Satan convinces other angels to live free from the laws of God, thereupon they are cast out of heaven.

What was Lucifer's plan? ›

Lucifer claimed, with agency removed, no one would have the ability to sin against God, that not one soul would be lost, and all would be able to return sinless to the presence of Heavenly Father without the need for a Savior.

What is Lucifer's weakness? ›

Weak Vessels - As Lucifer said, a vessel besides John limits his powers. Christian Cross - Contact with a cross hurts Lucifer and burns his skin. Grace Removal - Like any other angel, Lucifer can have his grace removed, which would render him human. Removal of most of his grace leaves him significantly weakened.

Who was God's favorite angel in the Bible? ›

Lucifer was one of God´s favorite angels. He was expulsed from Heaven when he rebelled against His power. To represent the subject, Esquivel chose the moment when, with a stern expression, Saint Michael separates him from Celestial Glory.

Is God actually Lucifer's dad? ›

Of course, God isn't just Lucifer's father, he's father to all the angels, including Lucifer's brother — and God's favorite son — Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside). So this casting marks a reunion for Haysbert and Woodside, who played presidents and brothers David and Wayne Palmer, respectively, on Fox's “24.”

Who is Lucifer's wife? ›

In High School DxD, the biblical Lilith was stated to be Adam's first wife who lived in the Garden of Eden in ancient times and was taken by the Devil King Lucifer as his consort.

What is Satan's actual name? ›

In the New Testament, the words Satan and diabolos are used interchangeably as synonyms. Beelzebub, meaning "Lord of Flies", is the contemptuous name given in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament to a Philistine god whose original name has been reconstructed as most probably "Ba'al Zabul", meaning "Baal the Prince".

Can the angels in heaven see God? ›

Angels see, and so do believers in heaven.

For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). Angels see the face of God. They are spirits. They do not have eyeballs or retinas, but they see the face of God.

Can an angel fall in love with a human? ›

Angels do not feel feelings like humans do. No romantic relationship will ever begin to form between human and angel as you are asking. However, an angel can be born into the world.

What did fallen angels look like? ›

The successive comparisons – from giants, to dwarfs, to pygmies, and to faerie elves – instead illustrate that the fallen angels remain essentially spiritual creatures and can accordingly shrink themselves to enter Pandemonium: as Milton puts it, “incorporeal spirits to smallest forms / Reduced their shapes immense” (I ...

Who is Lucifer's twin? ›

This version of Michael is depicted as Lucifer's twin brother, and in opposition to Lucifer's nature, he is calculating and scheming, a frequent liar, and is able to bring out people's fears in a manner similar to Lucifer's ability to bring out their desires.

What is Satan's end goal? ›

Bible says Satan's goal is to blind us to God's truth.

Who was the first son of God? ›

Jesus is the ultimate firstborn (a title applied to him by Paul). The gospel authors never refer directly to Jesus as God's firstborn, but they do refer to him as the Son of God, a title that connects to the theme of the firstborn. ).

Why did Lucifer's devil face go? ›

Whoever runs hell, has the devil-face. And Lucifer has been pretty clear that he doesn't want to do that anymore. So when he decided to tell Cloe everything in the last episode of season 2, he also (unconsciously) decided to forgo his place as lord of hell. Ergo, he lost his crown as the lord of hell (the devil-face).

What was Lucifer's deal with God? ›

When Lucifer was mortally wounded by Malcolm Graham, Lucifer prayed to his Father, wanting to make a deal: he would be the son He wanted if He protected Chloe. Once Lucifer had died and entered Hell, God showed him Goddess's empty cell. He then resurrected His son using Lucifer's Pentecostal Coin.

Why did God cut Lucifer's wings? ›

Lucifer retained his wings, even after his fall from grace. However, when he and Maze abandoned Hell, for Los Angeles, he had Maze amputate his wings as a gesture of ultimate defiance of God which he called flipping his Father the bird. Lucifer then stored the wings in a secret compartment in his shipping container.

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