Battle Ready: The Enemy

Ezekiel 28; Isaiah 14

Satan appeared in the garden and, using a snake as a tool, convinced Eve that God was holding out on her (Gen. 3:1-7). Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, sin saturated the human heart. As J. I. Packer says, “God’s image in man has been universally defaced, for all of humankind has in one way or another lapsed into ungodliness.”[1] 

Satan was also present in the field when Cain rejected God’s invitation to repent and chose to kill his brother. Jesus tells us, “[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning…” (John 8:44). Cain’s premeditated act reminds us that we are continually influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1-3).

But all the press about Satan on the first pages of the Bible raises a serious question. Why did God create a being that irrevocably destroyed life in paradise and defaced God’s image in humankind? Let’s start at the beginning… actually, before the beginning. 

We know that angels were created by God before Genesis 1:1, so at some point in eternity past. This is revealed in God’s discourse with Job. God asks Job where he was when the angels who serve God were shouting for joy at the sight of creation (Job 38:4-7). 

Scripture also reveals that, after God created the angels but before he created the heavens and the earth, an angelic rebellion occurred. How could that be? How could angels, perfectly created, rebel against God? The answer lies in God’s love. Love can never be forced, manipulated, or coerced. For love to exist, it must allow for free choice. So, at some point before creation, a number of angels, led by Satan, chose against God. 

While no single passage describes exactly what happened, Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 together paint the picture. Both passages present a dual prophecy. Just as Genesis 3:15 pronounced judgment on a serpent and a deeper judgment on Satan, these prophecies pronounce judgment on a human ruler and then explain the judgment stemming from Satan’s rebellion.[2] 

Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-14
Chapter 28 of Ezekiel begins by addressing a human ruler and his evil actions. In Ezekiel 28:12b-19, we see a description of Satan. 

Satan was created as a beautiful being (Eze. 28:12b-13).
God created Satan and described him as the “signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Eze. 28:12b). Satan was “in Eden, the garden of God” (Eze. 28:13a), and every precious stone was custom-made for him (Eze. 28:13b). He was brilliant beyond description. 

Satan was a high-ranking angel with access to God (Eze. 28:14).
God calls Satan “an anointed guardian cherub.” The cherubim (plural of cherub) are the inner circle of angels, the honor guard that proclaims and protects God’s holiness and glory. As their leader, Satan had intimate access to God. He walked among the “stones of fire,” which may refer to a fiery wall of protection around God, as described in Zechariah 2:5. 

Satan’s pride led to his rebellion (Eze. 28:15-19).
Satan was blameless from the day he was created “till unrighteousness was found in him. God said, “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (Eze. 28:17). Satan became full of himself, not content with his “position of authority” (Jude 1:6). He was enamored with it but forgot its purpose. The prophet Isaiah describes Satan’s pride this way: 

Isaiah 14:12-14
How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 

Satan wanted to be God. He sought to dethrone the Creator and take his place. He desired to be like the Most High; however, God responded to Satan’s pride with swift, decisive action.

Satan was cast down from heaven (Eze. 28:16).
God said of Satan, “In the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence…and you sinned.” The word “trade” (Heb. rakal) means “to go about from one to another.” Satan’s role gave him significant influence, and with it, he convinced one-third of the angels to rebel against God (Rev. 12:3-4); therefore, God cast Satan and his followers out of heaven (Eze. 28:16-17). Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). 

Cast down from heaven, the “ancient serpent”[3] now wreaks havoc on earth. He is intent on destruction through wars, oppression, sexual exploitation, perversion, and all else that degrades God’s creation. He seeks to ruin believers. Next time, we’ll consider how Satan works to render us ineffective. Let’s stay battle-ready!

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-14.

Talking to God: How does Satan’s fall from a position of beauty and privilege warn us about the dangers of pride in our own walk with God?

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SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.