He (the Lord Jesus) said to them, "I was beholding the Adversary, as lightning from the heaven having fallen." -- Luke 10:18 (YLT)

This Jesus had said to his 72 disciples who reported back from their successful mission.

Although some people mistakenly believe that Satan is no longer allowed in heaven, the Scripture testifies that he is often there, sometimes “day and night” (Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2; Revelation 12:10). God showed Jesus the Devil’s rapid descent from heaven in a revelation vision. Thus, when the disciples joyfully exclaimed that even demons were subject to them in Christ’s name, Jesus supported their faith by telling them that they had such a powerful and damaging effect on Satan’s kingdom that Satan had quickly, like lightning, come down from heaven.

The Greek word translated “fall” in Luke 10:18 is pipto, (G4098) and is a general term for all types of falling or downward motion, including falling off of things, throwing oneself down before dignitaries, falling down dead, lightning falling from the sky, being ruined personally (“falling” from grace), and even the heat of the sun “falling” upon people. Thus, the exact meaning of pipto has to be taken from the context, and the context of Luke 10:18 is the disciples causing a disturbance in the Devil’s kingdom, so he “fell” (traveled quickly downward) from heaven to correct it.

Some Christians teach that when Jesus said he saw Satan fall from heaven, he was saying that he existed in the beginning and saw when Satan and his demons rebelled against God and were cast out of heaven. That interpretation does not fit the context of the verse. What difference would it make in the context of Luke 10 that Jesus had seen Satan’s rebellion and fall? Such a statement would not have supported the 72, and in fact, would have confused them. Furthermore, it is not the kind of statement that Jesus would make, because it would be pointing to something he supposedly would have had to have done ages before and that was completely removed and irrelevant to the 72 casting out demons. Actually, Jesus did not even exist when Satan originally fell from heaven, that belief came about as the doctrine of the Trinity was being developed. The Trinitarian explanation of this verse is incorrect and takes away the powerful meaning of the verse, which is the damage we disciples can do to Satan’s kingdom if we walk in the power that God has given us.

-- REV Commentary of Spirit & Truth Fellowship International