Who is Satan? Where did he come from? Did God create him? Why did he fall? These are important questions that believers need to answer in order to be battle ready. Yesterday, we noted that Satan was created as a powerful and beautiful angel before his desire to de-throne God. We considered Isaiah 14, where Satan desired to make himself “like the Most High.” Let’s set the context for today’s passage.

Author Tony Evans explains that Ezekiel 28 begins by describing the king of Tyre, a human ruler whose heart became saturated with pride. Behind the king’s rebellion was Satan. Ezekiel then describes what Satan looked like before he rebelled against God.[1]

Ezekiel 28:12-15
You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

Satan was created as a beautiful angel. Ezekiel tells us that he was covered with every kind of precious stone. Satan was the leader of the angels and held the highest position. But he was not content with the position God gave him. He wanted to be God. Ezekiel goes on to say, “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground….” (Ezekiel 28:17).

Satan began to worship himself. Evans explains, “That’s what makes pride such a terrible sin. Pride is self-worship…Pride makes us feel independent of God so that we think we don’t need Him.”[2]

Then Satan appeared in the garden of Eden and put the same temptation of self-worship before Adam and Eve. They bit. Sin entered. And God sent his Son to pay the awful penalty of sin that always starts with pride.

Father,
Our sinful hearts cause us to desire self-worship. We desire independence from you. We desire to call our own shots, make our own decisions, and be our own god. Forgive us for buying Satan’s lie. Help us keep our hearts pointed to the truth. Help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus—the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] Tony Evans, Warfare: Winning the Spiritual Battle (Chicago, Ill: Moody Publishers, 2018), 24.

[2] Ibid., 26.