Bible Question:
How can it be said Satan was perfect until iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:12-17)? Satan like all other created beings must have been created flawed of which his fall is evidence. Was it a false statement for Ezekiel to say Satan was perfect until iniquity was found in him?
Bible Answer:
A common question that Christians ask is how did sin enter the world. The typical answer is that Satan tempted Eve to sin and then Eve tempted Adam to sin. Satan, also known as the devil or Lucifer, was the source of sin entering our world. But how did Satan sin since the Word of God states that Lucifer, the anointed cherub, was created blameless (Ezekiel 28:14-15).
You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
Ezekiel 28:15 (NASB)
“Blameless In Your Ways”
Our first question is what does Ezekiel 28:15 mean when it says Satan was created “blameless”? The Hebrew word for “blameless” is tamin and it means “complete” or “blameless.” The word is also translated as “perfect” in Job 36:4; 37:16; Psalm 19:7. Repeatedly it is translated as “without defect” (Leviticus 1:3, 10; 3:1, 6,; 4:3, 23, 28, 32; 5:15, 18, etc.) The word is used to describe God once, but the majority of the time it describes humans.
As for God, His way is blameless . . . 2 Samuel 22:31 (NASB)
Since the word is used to describe God, the Hebrew word cannot mean God was imperfect or sinful. This helps us understand that Satan was not created with sin, but blameless, complete, perfect or without defect. He was not created with sin.
Satan’s Sin – “Unrighteousness Was Found In You”
Therefore, what sin did Satan commit and how did he become evil? His sin is described in Isaiah 14:12-15. In this passage we are told that Satan wanted to become like God. He wanted to sit on the throne of God and rule the invisible and visible universe.
“How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.”
Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB)
When he aspired to do so, the last part of this passage reveals that he was “thrust down to Sheol” and “to the recesses of the pit” of Sheol. For more information about Sheol and “The Pit,” please read “Heaven, Paradise, Sheol, Hell, Hades and Lake of Fire.” Satan’s defeat and fall to the earth is described in Revelation 12:4. We are told that a third of the angels in heaven rebelled with him.
And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. Revelation 12:4 (NASB)
1 Timothy 3:6 reveals the the devil committed these sins because his sin was pride.
. . . and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 1 Timothy 3:6 (NASB)
The truth is that pride is the root cause of every sin! When you sin, pride motivates you to commit the unrighteous deed.
At some point, Satan was filled with pride and pride motivated him to take action. Then he was no longer without sin or blameless and became unrighteous. For an explanation of righteousness, please read, “What is the difference between holy and righteous in the Bible?”
Conclusion:
Our final question is how do we know that Satan was created blameless? The answer is that Scripture tells us Satan was “blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.” Since Scripture tells us that God the Holy Spirit moved the prophets, including Ezekiel, to write Scripture, we know that we can trust it (2 Peter 1:20-21). Why? The answer is that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). We can trust God to tell us the truth and the truth is Satan was created “blameless.”
Suggested Links:
What is the difference between holy and righteous in the Bible?Heaven, Paradise, Sheol, Hell, Hades and Lake of Fire
What is the root cause of all sin?
Where did Satan come from? – Creation and Fall of Satan
Is Satan a serpent, dragon, devil or a cherubim? — The Evil One
Why or how did the angel (Satan) become evil?
Why did God allow Satan to live and do what he does?
How could Satan be in the presence of God?
What is Satanism?