To the Editor,

When he was first created by God, he was called Lucifer, son of the morning. He was a good cherub angel, and he was important to God. Most surprising to me is he is not ugly. He was created beautiful and wise and an all-round perfect angel, as recorded in Ezekiel 28:11-19.

Everything started out real good for Lucifer. It was good until Lucifer got so proud of his beauty, his wisdom, and his place so close to God. He decided he wanted all that God had. Lucifer thought God should just move over, and let him take heaven over for himself, and be God. Lucifer’s pride in himself, and his wanting all God had caused a huge battle in heaven. Guess who won the battle. Revelation 12:7-9 tells us God won the battle for control of heaven.

All the angels took the right to choose that God had given them, and one-third of the angels had joined up with Lucifer. Verses 3-4 of Revelation 12 tells us those one-third fell from heaven right along with Lucifer. God kept all that was rightfully God’s.

Lucifer’s five “I wills” that are included in Isaiah 14:12-17 never came true. But the worst thing that could happen to anyone, happened to Lucifer and the angels who were thrown from heaven to earth with him. They all lost their personal relationship with God. His name was changed from Lucifer to Satan, and his title became “the devil.” This is so awful to happen to any of us!

Verse 14 of Ezekiel 28 calls Lucifer an “anointed cherub that covereth.” This means he had a huge amount of favor from God and he was a leader among the angels. That tells me Lucifer fell very, very far way down. I would be ashamed. Is Satan ashamed of himself?

He did fail to carry on what God created him to do and be. Remember how he spoke to God in the first chapters of Job? No sign of shame there. It is impossible to understand how proud Satan is of himself, and all the troubles he causes on this earth. He brought all the suffering that has happened–and will happen. He is in the ears and minds of any human he believes might decide to choose the evil ways of him and his angels. Remember how he got Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden. As soon as Eve started talking with Satan, she was deep in trouble.

Satan wants all of us to question God’s word and his truth. He knows how to take just enough truth, add some big lies, and we can easily get trapped into believing him–not God. For some reason, none of us are wise enough to understand–God allows Satan to go on living. God knows best. You and I don’t.

God gave us the Bible to use as our road map for our travels in this life. God gave us free will to make educated choices from wisdom gained by studying the Bible. God waits and hopes for the best for all of us. But we must choose–and then answer some day for that choice made.

Mary C. Albertson

Albany, Kentucky