The Sin of Satan

via TJC

“You said in your heart, I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.”

Isaiah 14:13

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Revelation 12:7-9

We have all been in a situation where we make a mistake and are called out for it by someone who saw us, be it our spouse, boss, friends or children. At that moment we have two options, deny or accept their criticism and correction. If we accept their criticism, there is a moment of shame for our poor judgment and then we can continue to exist and grow around that person because they see that we are open to having a conversation, not just living in our own opinion. If our pride gets in the way and we reject their justified rebuke, we sin and cause a rift between us and the other because we are refusing to accept that we are at fault.

This is the origin story of the villain we all battle daily on our Christian journey, Satan. While little detail is known about the sin that caused his exile, we do know generally that he was consumed by pride, ignoring the fact that he was created and thinking that he was superior to all, even above God. He made a choice and his prideful actions were enough to start a war where he still stubbornly refused to be corrected even when proven wrong, leading to him being cast out of his cushy angelic day job. Proverbs 11:2 says “When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom.” Pride makes us blind to reason and love and we can fall tremendously just as Satan did if we are not careful.

Daily Battle Order:

Who is the first person that comes to your mind that has been hurt by your pride and deserves your humble apology? Pray for the strength, humility and wisdom to approach that person and ask for forgiveness. Write down your thoughts if necessary. Know that God wants your wounds healed and will be there supporting you and giving you the strength to succeed.