The Bible tells us that the war began with an angel named Lucifer, who was described as a “covering cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14-16). A covering cherub, according to Exodus 25:14-20, is an angel that stood in the very presence of God, covering the ark of the testimony, in which lay the law of God. Above the ark was God’s mercy seat. These earthly replicas were designed to teach heavenly realities (see Hebrews 8:1-5).


This image shows us the foundation of God’s throne (the mercy seat) in heaven was His law (ark of the covenant), and Lucifer was once an angel that stood closest to the throne of God, “covering” (meaning “to guard” or “protect”) the law of God. This was his position in heaven.


All was at peace until “iniquity” was found in Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:15). According to 1 John 3:4, iniquity, or sin, is defined as, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Lucifer, the angel that was to guard the law of God, the foundation of God’s government, turned against that very law, which resulted in the introduction of sin into the heavenly atmosphere.


Hence, the first war was over the law of God. Lucifer, like a master politician, argued that heavenly angels had no need for a law because they were already holy. Lucifer said, “I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14), without obeying His laws. In other words, Lucifer, now Satan, had introduced the principle of self-righteousness—righteousness by one’s own standard versus the universal standard of God’s law. The argument was a deceptive one, and one that still deceives the masses today.