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I think Legate makes a great point. It also seems to me that in his pride, Morgoth (or Melkor at this point) initially fancied himself as the one who would be best at shaping Middle Earth, if I remember correctly. Perhaps, as he continued to interfere with the other Vala, that certain Maia were deluded into thinking that Morgoth was truly the one who would accomplish this great work and sided with him.
I would also imagine that once the Maia made the transition to Middle Earth from the place where Eru existed (as the Vala did) and became bound to the earth in their different forms, that perhaps it affected their perceptions in certain ways that would have made them more susceptible to being deceived. I am thinking of Osse in particular, the helper of Ulmo who was deceived by Melkor for a time and then repented. If I am remembering rightly, didn't Melkor make a special attempt in deceiving Osse due to the powers he held? Melkor feared Ulmo almost as much as he feared Varda because Ulmo could not be controlled; his deception of Osse was the closest he could get to gaining control over Ulmo. Osse later repented, yet his time in service to Melkor had a lasting effect on him as he continued to be unwieldy in that he loved to cause storms and distress upon the sea.
Good stuff.
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