Lucifer's Sin Was Not Pride; He Blasphemed

When we think of Lucifer’s fall, most of us default to the idea that he was expelled from heaven because of pride. After all, doesn’t Scripture say, “Pride goeth before destruction” Prov. 16:18? But what if I told you that pride wasn’t the sole reason—or even the main reason—for Lucifer’s downfall? His crime went deeper. At its core, Lucifer’s rebellion was rooted in something far graver: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

That’s right. Lucifer’s ultimate sin was calling good evil and evil good, which Jesus defined and not me (Matt. 12:31-32). More plainly, that God had created him perfectly was not enough, he wanted more! Jesus Christ also taught one "being content", right (Luke 3:14).

Before his fall, Lucifer wasn’t just another angel. He was the anointed cherub sometimes referred to as the throne covering angel, created with beauty and wisdom that surpassed the imagination (Ezek. 28:14). Furthermore, this general of generals wasn’t some low-ranking angel trying to climb the ladder. He was at the top, walking among the fiery stones in God’s holy presence.

But something changed in his heart and corruption resulted when he announced, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the Most High" (Isa. 14:12-15). It is interesting he never said he would be MORE than God!

In this statement, sure, there is pride in desiring to be like God but Lucifer’s rebellion wasn’t just about self-exaltation and was a direct attack on God’s character and authority.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood sins in Scripture. In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus warns that it’s the one sin that will never be forgiven. But what is it, exactly? As was pointed out earlier, it’s not just using God’s name in vain or mocking the Holy Spirit. At its heart, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is calling good evil and evil good. It’s looking at the work of God and labeling it as demonic. Sound familiar?

Lucifer’s crime wasn’t just that he wanted to be God—it was that he twisted the LORD's goodness into something evil. He looked at the perfect order of heaven, the beauty of

sovereign authority, and rejected it.

Ezekiel 28:15 says, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” That iniquity wasn’t just pride. It was the perversion of truth, a rejection of God’s holiness, and the glorification of self over the Creator. Pride, itself, was never condemned by Jesus as unforgivable in the manner blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is. This does not suggest that fallen angels can be forgiven, however.

Lucifer’s rebellion set the template for sin and not so coincidentally the serpent, later, told Eve, "you will be like God knowing good from evil" (Gen. 3:1-6). It’s no coincidence that Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”

When Lucifer rallied a third of the angels to his side, he didn’t do it by saying, “Hey, let’s all be prideful” (Rev. 12:4). He did it by convincing them that God was wrong and his way was better. He flipped the script, painting wickeness as righteousness and submission to God as optional, which it is but the consequences are not!

Think about that for a moment. Lucifer, the most glorious being God created, stood in the presence of perfect holiness and decided, as my children have on occassion, they know better. Worse, he convinced others to see Yahweh's goodness as something to reject. That’s not just pride—that’s blasphemy.

So, why does this matter to you and I? Because the same lie Lucifer spread in heaven is alive and well today. Our world is saturated with messages that twist good into evil and evil into good. Things God calls holy—marriage, life, truth—are mocked and redefined. Sin is celebrated, and righteousness is ridiculed.

And here’s the thing: it all starts with the same root issue. A refusal to recognize Yahweh's sovereign authority. We see it in small ways every day and especially in our own lives. For examnple, I wonder how many people are in Hell for accepting godless advice such as “follow your heart” and "be who you are" instead of “follow the Lord God.” They elevate personal truth over eternal truth and like Lucifer, they don’t just ignore God’s standards—they actively oppose them.

If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that God’s holiness is not up for debate and is not subjective although humankind's interpretation often is. And rejecting it, twisting it, or trying to replace it with something else doesn’t just lead to a bad day—it leads to destruction.

And that’s a sobering reminder for all of us to keep our hearts aligned with the truth of who God is. Because calling good evil and evil good? That’s a path we can’t afford to take.