Oh How the Mighty Fall

Ezekiel 28:16-17 (AMP)

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“Through the abundance of your commerce
You were internally filled with lawlessness and violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you out as a profane and unholy thing
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
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“Your heart was proud and arrogant because of your beauty;
You destroyed your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I lay you before kings,
That they might look at you.

Oh, how the mighty fall, they say. Al Capone was the head of the mafia in New York, a man who knew no boundaries. He rose within the ranks of the mafia to become the head boss. A powerful man who controlled politicians, police officers, local judges, shipping, commerce, and so much more. New York was controlled by the mafia, and at the center of it all was Al Capone. He was untouchable and in charge.

What brought down this powerful mob boss? A simple crime known as tax evasion. Among the other crimes he was accused of, and most likely committed, the only one to stick was a simple tax evasion charge. This put Al Capone behind bars, and this was the end of Al Capone. Oh, how the mighty fall.

We get a rare glimpse of Satan before his fall in Ezekiel 28. The Lord tells Ezekiel that he was “the model of perfection” in verse 12. It goes on to tell us that he was in the garden of God, Eden. His clothing was adorned with every precious stone, covered in gold. He was given all this on the day the Lord created him and ordained him to be a mighty angelic guardian. He had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. He was blameless in all he did from the day he was created until… until evil was found in him (verse 15).

Verses 16 and 17 above describe Satan’s character, the character we are all too familiar with. The Bible tells us that Satan’s heart was proud and arrogant because of his beauty. He used his own wisdom for the sake of personal splendor. The NLT translation describes this as, “Your heart was filled with pride because of your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor.” Because of this, the Lord cast him to the ground and exposed him to all creation. Verse 18 tells us that he defiled his sanctuaries with many sins. Sound familiar?

Without knowing it, you might say that this describes most of the modern world today, filled with pride, consumed with beauty, arrogant, and full of evil intentions to gain splendor or riches. Evil has an author, and his plans and schemes have not changed in centuries. His name is Satan. While we might be fully aware of all this, we still seem to get duped by his plans all the time. The Bible tells us that the heart of man is evil and filled with deceit, who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Here is the good news: Jesus came to set us free. He promises to give us a new heart, a righteous heart that yearns after the things of the Lord. Instead of being led by Satan and his evil ways, the Christian is filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is now your guide. This is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. He does not live in a gold box in a temple somewhere in Israel, but He lives in your heart and in the heart of every believer.

While we can pinpoint the sin in this world and describe its unholy practices, we don’t have to be a slave to them. We don’t have to be duped by them any longer. God’s plan was always to give us back what Satan stole in the garden, His presence all the time. The Holy Spirit is that everyday presence, given to us from God so we can have fellowship with Him daily through the blood of Jesus, the final sacrifice for our sins.

You don’t have to live in the shadow of Satan and all his schemes any longer. Today, be filled with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name and put an end to corruption from the author of sin. Start a new life today, victorious in Christ, kicking Satan in the teeth every day and telling him he no longer has a hold on you. Satan may have the title of the god of this world, but Christ now holds the keys to hell and the grave. And Satan? He is sentenced to eternity in hell and is subject to every believer who calls on the name of the Lord. Now that’s what I call “case closed”! Oh, how the mighty fall.

Prayer: Father, thank You for all You have given us. Thank You for Your Son who died on the cross. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who lives inside all of us. Thank You for the victory we have in Christ. I pray that we live and move and walk in the victory You paid for on the cross every day of our lives. We are no longer subject to sin, but rather we are slaves to righteousness and a new creation in Christ. Thank You, Father, for the victory we have in Jesus. Amen.