The Free Will of Angels
When God created the angels, He created them with the ability of free will. They could freely make decisions for good or evil. Angels do not have a propensity to sin like humans do. They could see the grandeur, splendor, and glory of God and His Son Jesus in heaven. They knew their proper place in subjection to God. They knew they were created to worship and serve Him. They were without excuse should they sin against God. There would be no forgiveness of sin for them as they stood in the very presence of the Lord and were witnesses of His glory and power. They did not have to rely on faith for the truth and knowledge of the Almighty as people do.
Satan
Satan, the leader of the demons, also called Lucifer, “the Devil”, a dragon, and a serpent was created as a high ranking angel. He is also referred to in the Bible as Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons; Apollyon or Abaddon, the king of demons; and the angel of the bottomless pit. He certainly is a very intelligent being and a persuasive leader. However, it was not enough for him to be a powerful angel who served God, He wanted to be God, to exalt himself over God.
12 “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! 13 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; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isa. 14:12-15)
The War in Heaven
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev. 12:7-9)
Satan was cast out of heaven because of his sin of pride and disobedience. He was the author of sin. Jesus referred to Satan being cast out of heaven when he said the following:
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (Luke 10:18)
Not only was Satan cast out of heaven for his sin, but it appears as many as a third of the angels were cast out as well with him. Satan, the great deceiver, persuaded these angels to follow him against God. They were also expelled for their rebellion. These are the demons we read about in the New Testament.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. (Rev. 12:3-4)
In this war in heaven, we see that the angel Michael led the angels of God in battle against Satan and his angels. Michael is the highest ranking angel and is the only one called the archangel. This means chief angel.
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9)
The angels fighting for God were victorious, and Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven. Their eternal destiny is everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev. 20:10)
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 6,7)
The Accuser
Satan likes to accuse us of our sins before God. He attacked the goodness of Job before the Almighty. However, his days are short and his damnation is sure. He intends to cause havoc and mayhem on earth until he is cast into the lake of fire to receive everlasting torment.
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev. 12:10-12)
Praise God that we have an advocate in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes on our behalf when Satan accuses us of wrongdoing before God.
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)
Let us all do our best to live a righteous life because we know that Satan will certainly accuse us before God for our transgressions.