The Devil's First Error

Et ut gravissimae tyrannidis ejus potentiam agnoscamus, angelum illum qui prae nimietate splendoris ac decoris sui Lucifer nuncupatus est, nullo alio quam hoc vitio dejectum coelitus invenimus et ex illa beata sublimique angelorum statione telo superbiae vulneratum ad inferna fuisse collapsum. Si igitur tantam virtutem et tantae potentiae prearogativa decoratam una elatio cordis potuit de coelestibus ad terrena devolvere, qua nos observantia carnis fragilitate circumdatos cavere oporteat, ipsius ruinae magnitudo demonstrat. Quemadmodum vero hujus morbi virus perniciosissimum devitemus, instrui poterimus, si ruinae ipsius causas atque originem persequamur. Numquam enim curari languor, nec remedia poterunt malis valetudinibus exhiberi, nisi prius inquisitione sagaci origines earum investigentur et causae. Hic namque indutus divina claritate, et inter caeteras supernas virtutes Conditoris largitate praefulgens, splendorem sapientiae et virtutum pulchritudinem qua ornabatur gratia Creatoris, naturae suae potentia, non munificentiae illius beneficio se credidit obtinere. Et ob hoc elatus tamquem qui ad perseverantiam puritatis hujus divino non egeret auxilio, Deo se similem judicavit, utpote qui nullius indigeret, quemadmodum Deus, liberi scilicet arbitrii facultate confisus, per illum credens affluenter omnia sibimet suppeditari quae ad consummationem virtutum vel perennitatem summae beatitudinis pertinerent. Haec ei sola cogitatio facta prima ruina est. Ob quam desertus a Deo, quo se credidit non egere, instabilis repente et nutabundus effectus, et infirmitatem propriae naturae persensit, et beatitudinem qua Dei munere fruebatur amisit. Et quia dilexit verba praecipitationis, quibus dixerat, In coelum conscendam, et linguam dolosam, qua vel de se dixerat, Ero similis Altissimo, vel de Adam et Eva: Eritis sicut dii; propterea Deus destuet illum in finem, evellet eum, et emigrabit de tabernaculo suo, et radicem ejus de terra viventium. Tunc ruinam ejus videntes justi timebunt, et super eum ridebunt dicentes, quod etiam ad hos qui se sine protectione auxillioque Dei summum bonum perficere posse confidunt justissime dirigetur: Ecce homo qui non posuit Deum adjutorem suum, sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum, et praevaluit in vanitate sua. Sanctus Ioannes Cassianus, De Coenobiorum Institutis, Lib XII, Caput IV, De Spiritu Superbiae Source: Migne PL 49.426a-430a

And that we may know the power of pride's oppressive tyranny, that angel who because of the greatness of his splendour and beauty was named Lucifer, we find was cast out of heaven for no other fault but this, and pierced with the shaft of pride he was cast down from his blessed and exalted position among the angels into hell. If, then, pride of heart alone was enough to cast down from heaven to earth a power so great and adorned with the attributes of such virtue, the very greatness of his ruin shows to us with what care we who are surrounded by the weakness of the flesh should be on our guard. However, we can learn how to avoid the most ruinous poison of this evil if we trace out the origin and causes of his downfall. For weakness can never be cured, nor the remedies for bad health revealed unless first their origin and causes are investigated with sagacious scrutiny. This one, then, endowed with divine splendour and shining among the other supernal powers by the bounty of his Maker, believed that he had obtained the splendour of that wisdom and the beauty of those virtues with which he was adorned by the grace of the Creator by his own natural power and not by the munificence of His generosity. And on this account elated, as if he was in no need of Divine help to persevere in his purity, he judged himself to be like God, as if, like God, he had no need of any other, and trusting in the ability of his own will, he believed that by it he could richly supply himself with everything which was necessary for the perfection of virtue, or for the continuation of perfect bliss. This thought alone was the making of his first fall. Because of which, being forsaken by God, of whom he thought he no longer had need, he suddenly was made unstable and tottering, and came to the awareness of the weakness of his own nature, and lost the blessedness which he had enjoyed by God's gift. And because he 'loved the words of ruin,' 1 with which he had said, 'I will ascend into heaven,' 2 and the 'deceitful tongue,' 3 with which he had said of himself, 'I will be like the Most High,' 4 or indeed as it was with Adam and Eve: 'You shall be like gods.' 5 'Therefore God shall destroy him forever and pluck him up and remove him from his dwelling place and his root out of the land of the living.' Then his ruin 'seeing the just shall fear and shall laugh at him, saying...' that which indeed may be most justly directed at those who trust that they can obtain the highest good without the protection and assistance of God: 'Behold the man that made not God his helper, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and his great might in his vanity.' 6 Saint John Cassian, The Institutes of the Coenobia, Book 12, Chap 4, On The Spirit of Pride 1 Ps 51.6 2 Isaiah 14.13-14 3 Ps 51.6 4 Isaiah 14.13-14 5 Gen 3.5 6 Ps 51.7-9