Imagine there’s no such thing as a devil. Then imagine you’re dwelling in a heavenly place in the presence of God. Now imagine getting kicked out of heaven. This is what Isaiah saw in this event describing the fall of the king of Babylon.
Jesus used Isaiah’s message concerning the king of Babylon to depict Satan’s fall from heaven (Lk. 10:18). The prophet Ezekiel used a similar account to describe Satan’s expulsion from glory (Ezk. 28:12-19).
The issue remains, how does one get banished from heaven? Satan didn’t begin as a devil. Contrary, he was an angel at first. Isaiah gives us some insight. “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:12-14). Notice the five “I wills.” Lucifer planned to exalt himself above God. This wasn’t just sheer ambition. This was pride, and thus we have our answer to how one can be exiled from heaven: pride.
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Pro. 16:18). Satan’s pride got him booted from heave, which set of a fire storm of rebellion and evil.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an angel or a saint, God will not put up with pride. Just when you think pride will lift you, God will bring you low. But if you will remain humble, you will find grace: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Jas. 4:6).