Summary: The Devil, Lucifer, was cast out after he sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Explanation: “Take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God…You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones (stars). You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub,’” Ezekiel 28:12-16 (NIV).

In these verses, God is addressing Lucifer, who is symbolically called the King of Tyre. Lucifer was created a perfect, beautiful angelic being. He was full of wisdom, and God placed him in the Garden of Eden as the guardian cherub. Lucifer was to watch over and bless Adam and Eve. But pride grew in his heart.

Isaiah 14:12 -14, “For you (Lucifer) have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’”

Lucifer wanted to be like God! It was after he sinned by enticing Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that he was cast out from God’s kingdom. Ezekiel 28:16 said God expelled him from the Garden of Eden and from His righteous domain (symbolized as the mount of God).

Satan and the other fallen angels are now confined in tartaroo, bound in chains of darkness, waiting for judgment. 2 Peter 2:4, “God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (Greek, “tartaroo”) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.” 

For an explanation of tartaroo, see also the following question:  In 2 Peter 2:4, Revised Version, we read, “For if God spared not the angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved unto judgment.” What is the meaning of the word, “Hell” or as the marginal reading gives it “TARTARUS,” which is the Greek word translated “hell?”