Proverbs tell us that “Pride goes before a fall”, and in the case of Satan, ironically, pride came literally before The Fall, prompting this excellent question. As the first installment of our Pastor Q & A, this is one of the most difficult! So very glad to see we are going right for the tough questions, please keep them coming.

Instead of making you read through a lengthy explanation before getting to the meat of the answer, I am going to share with you my thoughts right at the beginning, and attempt to qualify the answer that Scripture appears to support.

Simply put, as with other aspects of the Divine, this falls into the realm of mystery. Yet, we are not discouraged by that…not in the least. The existence of mystery (which is most necessary when God is infinite, and we are finite) is, in fact, an affirmation of the Divine. There should be things we don’t know. Be wary of someone who gives a definitive answer where Scripture itself is silent or cloudy on a specific issue. When Scripture is silent or unclear, we must remember two principles of the Sufficiency of Scripture: The Word is all-sufficient in what it reveals, and in what it conceals. If God did not tell us something in His Word very clearly, we were not meant to have absolute clarity in this subject. To possess all information with complete clarity would make us God, happily that job has been taken already.

These mysteries should cause us to approach such difficult questions with great humility and with great charity towards others who may have a different opinion.

Enough caveats, on to the explanation!

When Genesis opens, we are not given a timeline for the beginning of evil. We are simply shown that it is there. There are varying theories as to the timing of Lucifer’s fall from heaven, but let us consider a few known truths before trying to fill in the blanks:

1: God is sovereign. We all know and confess this. God reigns over that which He directly causes, and through that which He indirectly allows in accordance with His perfect and permissive will. God is sovereign over (not author of) all sin, while being forever perfect.

2: Men (and angels) are responsible. Angels are created beings the same as humans. They were part of the created order. We often forget that we were made “a little lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:7) and will, in fact, one day judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3)! Wow!

A primary difference between man and angel is not just in our duties, but that angels have no means of salvation. There is no repenting for an angel. We know this because hell was not even created for man, but for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). Forgiveness has only been made for humans alone through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). No other means exists within space and time, and outside space and time, even up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2).

Much of what we see pertaining to Lucifer’s fall from heaven (along with one-third of all the angels – Rev.12:9) must be gleaned and inferred from various passages throughout the Old and New Testament. Some are written vaguely and cryptically, often with dual meaning.

Ezekiel writes concerning Satan: “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” Ez. 28:15

Was Lucifer created perfect? Yes. Was Lucifer fallen at the time Yahweh created the world and “saw that it was good”? No. All would certainly not be good, if Lucifer and one-third of the angels had rebelled and been cast out. We are left to surmise that Lucifer’s fall happened very shortly after creation.

The Prophet Isaiah records the fall of Satan as well:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” Is. 14:12-14

We could write much more on that topic, but that should be enough foundation to get to the specific question: “If there is no sin in Heaven or God's presence, how did the fallen angel (Satan) have the first desire for power or to be god?”

Let us begin with James, and his definition of the germination (birth or seed) of sin:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:13-15

Here we must make our first definitive statement concerning this. Satan does not cause sin. “The Devil made me do it” is not in Scripture. James says sin happens when we are drawn away by our own desires and lusts. No devil required! Does he participate in tempting toward that? Of course. That is what Satan did to Eve in the garden, but Eve was drawn away by her own desires and lusts. Satan was, and is, not required for man to sin. A higher evil power was not necessary for Satan himself to sin.

We know that Satan’s fall did not originate with God, nor was it authored by God, but that the seed was within the heart of Satan. How does that work? If all is perfect in heaven, as the questioner asks, where did this desire to sin come from?

Again, we cannot say dogmatically, because Scripture does not tell us, but like a dim candle in a room, it does cast shadows upon the wall for us to see.

I will first try to address “why” God allowed this, and will close with what, I believe, is the “how.”

Much like Judas Iscariot, there are those who were created and fashioned for a purpose. That sounds lovely, but often that purpose is devastating. Judas Iscariot, for example, was a “vessel prepared for destruction” (Rom. 9:21-23). Not that God actively prepared him for destruction (in fact the Greek here is in the passive, not the active voice), but that Judas would choose wickedness of his own accord, and God would use that rebellion for His own ends and glory to save His people.

God knew what Satan would do when He created the angels. He knew, and He made them anyway. Why? For His purposes. Satan would be a vessel used to tempt the world, not only as judgment upon the world for wickedness, but that God might be able to show His immeasurable love at the cross.

Without sin, there is no wrath, without wrath, mercy and grace have no meaning.

Just as God has His elect, and those chosen to salvation, so has He chosen angels in a very similar way. Notice Paul writing to Timothy:

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 1 Tim. 5:21

This tells us that Satan and his demons were allowed to sin for a purpose, and that those angels who remain today will be forever faithful.

There are those who simply point to “free will” as the explanation to Satan’s fall. And while they did have the ability to choose to sin against God, this simplistic explanation leaves much to be desired for too many reasons to enumerate here.

I hope this begins to answer the “why”, but I will finish with the “how”, which really is the heart of the question.

How is it possible for this sin desire to have germinated in the presence of holiness where all is good and pure? What were the mechanics of this? To be clear again, we are not told clearly. Genesis opens with the existence of evil, but there are clues.

As we look throughout Scripture, we often see the “cause” of sin to be God hiding or veiling His face from the offenders. Consider the Prophet Isaiah when he says, “There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.” Is. 64:7

One chapter earlier, Isaiah writes, “O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Note that it says God “made them wander” and hardened their hearts, so they would not fear God! And if we look to the second part of this verse, it gives us the ever-important “how”. Isaiah says, “Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.” Is. 63:17

By saying “return” Isaiah is telling us that it was God shielding His face…it was His absence, or withdrawing of His face that caused the ability to sin.

While I would not write this down as gospel-truth, it is reasonable to assume that God, in ways we do not understand (but for purposes we do!) shielded His enabling grace and presence from Lucifer allowing him to choose evil.

Praise the Lord that we have such mysteries, as it confirms the presence of One so much higher than ourselves.

I pray this helps bring some clarity to the question.