Category Archives: Encouragement

Contains posts designed to encourage you.

Check Out Our Printable Wall Art and Other Items In Our Store! Save 50%! Use Code: Save50% Click Here!

Age Of Accountability, Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Encouragement, Hell, Rapture, Salvation, Wisdom

The Age Of Accountability

I have been taught all my life that the age of accountability is different for each person. And that a person reaches the age of accountability as soon as they understand right from wrong, even if they are only 5 years old (or even younger).

The way I have been taught as a Baptist all my life is that if a child as young as 5 (or even 3) understands right from wrong, but they have not received Christ as their Saviour yet, and they die, they will go to Hell.

I was also taught that the rapture was only for those who had made a decision for Christ. So, then all babies would be left behind, when the rapture happened.

The Baptist Belief About the Age of Accountability is Based On:

2 Samuel 12:22-23 “And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

In this passage David’s baby died and was taken to paradise. The baby was not sent to hell, because he was still innocent and was too young to be accountable to God for anything.

I Agree With Other Baptist that this Passage Does Establish an Age of Accountability Doctrine.

Babies are innocent, and if they die they go to heaven.

However, this Passage Does Not Say When a Person Becomes Accountable to God.

It just shows that babies are not accountable to God.

A Few Years Ago I Began to Hear of More and More Parents Becoming Very Worried that the Rapture Would Happen Soon, and their 5, 6, 7 Year Old Kids Would be Left Behind.

This troubled me, because Christians receive a special crown for loving Christ’s appearing. It is our Blessed Hope.

2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

I began to search out exactly what the Bible says about the age of accountability, and what I found out both shocked me and gave me great peace.

Now I want to share this with all Christians everywhere, especially Christian parents, so they can have peace too.

To Begin with, Jesus Said That the Kingdom of Heaven Belongs to Children.

Matthew 19:14 “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Furthermore, Paul said in Romans 7:9 “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

This shows a person is not accountable to God for their sins until they are old enough to be accountable to the law (God’s law).

So, the New Testament does show that there is an age of accountability.

Then I Noticed that in Genesis the Bible Shows That Cain and Able Were Grown When They Brought Their First Offerings to God.

Genesis 4
1 “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.”

This shows that Cain was already married by the time he gave his offering. The first couple of verses indicate that Cain and Able were twins. It mentions 1 conception, but then says Eve bare 2 sons.

Therefore, it appears that Cain and Able were both grown and Cain was already married, but Able may not have been married yet.

Furthermore, we know these offerings were meant to be sin offerings, (not tithe offerings as my Dad taught me), because Hebrews 11:4 says they were sacrifices and Able had witness that he was righteous because of his proper sacrifice.

Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

A person is never said to be righteous because they give their tithes. A person is only said to be righteous if they have atoned for their sins through a sacrifice, and it must be a proper blood sacrifice. Vegetables are not accepted!

Hebrews 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.“

Today, we must accept Jesus’s sacrifice as the blood atoning sacrifice for our sins for God to call us righteous, back then they had to sacrifice an animal like a lamb, goat, or bull.

This shows that the first 2 children born in the world did not bring an offering to God to atone for their sins until they were adults. Cain and Able had reached adulthood, (Cain was even married already) and the time had come for them to present themselves before God with a proper blood sacrifice to atone for their sins. Able did it right and was accepted of God, Cain refused to do it right and was rejected by God.

Note: I am not saying that children cannot get saved. Jesus said very plainly not to forbid children from getting saved. Children need to get saved once they truly understand salvation in order to preserve them. Jesus said this Himself. I explain all this in great detail later in this post.

Then I Noticed that When God Decided to Destroy Israel in the Wilderness He Set an Age Limit of 20 and Above.

This shows that God does not see a person as an adult until they are 20.

Now, this is according to the Hebrew calendar, so according to our calendar it would be 18 1/2.

Human nature never changes, and even today we know that if the parents are rebellious against an authority, their teenage children will usually stand with them against the same authority.

God decided to destroy all the adults, because they did not want to go into the Promised land, they wanted to return to Egypt, and were actually starting to pick up stones to kill Moses and Aaron. Numbers chapter 14.

You know there were teenagers there also who were picking up stones to try to help their parents kill Moses and Arron. But in this instance, God had mercy and spared the teenagers from death.

Why? Because they were not adults yet. They were not accountable to God for their sins yet.

Then I Found that the Only Time in the Bible Where an Age is Mentioned that Anyone Had to Make an Atonement for Their Souls is the Age of 20 and Above.

Exodus 30:

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

This passage in Exodus also shows that people are not accountable to God, nor subject to God’s law, until they are 20 years old. Remember what Paul said in Romans 7:9 “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

God is a King and a Judge, and the Bible is a Legal Book.

Just like the legal age of accountability in America is 18, and they usually do not prosecute a teenager on the same level as an adult, God is the same way.

The legal age of an adult in God’s eyes is 20, and that is according to the Hebrew calendar, so according to our calendar it would be 18 1/2. America got it pretty close!

Then I Noticed that God Commanded in the Bible for Parents to Take their Drunkard Teenagers Out and Have them Stoned.

Deuteronomy 21:

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

God was commanding here to stone teenagers who were drunkards, rebellious towards authority, or glutenous which includes drug addiction, slothfulness, basically the loose party type lifestyle.

It is what we would call a troubled teen today. A teenager who won’t go to school, won’t work, disrespects and disobeys their parents, drinks, does drugs, and lives that kind of an irresponsible lifestyle.

That verse is not speaking of little kids telling their parents “No!” God did not say to take your 5 yr old and have them stoned for telling you “No!” Like I was taught in the Baptist church.

The Bible puts very clear and specific guidelines. The kid must be a rebellious drunk or drug addict, who has no respect for authority, will take no responsibility, and only wants to have a “good time” with no regard for anyone else.

This is clearly talking about rebellious teenagers, not little kids!

Now, The Bible Says that a Teenager Who Lives This Way is to be Put to Death, But it Never Says that An Adult Who Lives This Way Should be Put to Death.

The reason why God commanded that rebellious teenagers be put to death was to save their souls! Because if they reached adulthood at the age of 20 with that rebellious attitude and lifestyle, they would then be accountable to God and would be in danger of Hell.

By ending their life before adulthood it protected them from facing God’s judgment in Hell.

This is why God commanded that teenagers, who lived a rebellious lifestyle like this were put to death, but not adults.

It is already too late to kill an adult who lives like that to save them from hell, because they are already on their way to hell. They have already reached the age of accountability. Their only Hope is to get saved.

So, in both cases it is about God’s mercy on people’s souls. Rebellious teenagers are to be put to death in order to save their soul, because they are not yet accountable to God.

However, rebellious adults (unless they do something specifically worthy of death like murder) are to be allowed to live, in hope that they will get saved, before their sins catch up with them and they end up going to hell.

So, Christians Can Have Peace Concerning Their Children’s Spiritual Protection.

You do not have to worry about whether your little kid truly understands salvation, they are still safe even if they don’t.

Now, Jesus Said Not to Forbid Children to Come to Him.

It is very important that children do get saved, so that way they are saved in innocence and are never in danger of going to Hell.

Jesus Even Said This In Matthew 18:

10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Notice, it says sheep go astray, not lambs. What Jesus is saying here is do not forbid children to get saved. Children need to get saved so they don’t ever become lost and condemned to hell, when they reach adulthood. (Jesus did command Peter to feed His lambs in John 21:15.)

Matthew 18 also shows that children can get saved because Jesus talks about the 99 sheep that never went astray (meaning: they never became lost and condemned to hell!) Just let that truth sink into your heart for a minute “99 sheep that were never lost and condemned to hell!” This is why children need to get saved! Even though they are protected from hell now, they need to be preserved from hell forever!

Remember Paul said:

Romans 7:9 “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

So when Paul became an adult without being saved he died (perished) spiritually! Jesus said that it is not the Father’s will for any child to ever die spiritually! This is why He said to allow the children to come to Him and not forbid them from getting saved!

Just because children are not accountable to God for their sins yet does not mean that they cannot or don’t need to get saved. They are still sinners! They just are not condemned to hell yet!

And most children can fully understand salvation between the ages of 7 and 13.

Also, once a person gets saved the Holy Spirit will not allow them to become a drunkard, or a drug addict, or do some other really bad sins (see my post “Sins A Saved Person Cannot Fall Into” at https://shiningthelightministries.com/2021/05/12/sins-a-saved-person-cannot-fall-into/.) Salvation goes a long way to protect children from ruining their lives later on in life. So, if you want to ensure that your child never becomes a drug addict, drunkard, murderer etc. Make sure they get saved, when they do show that they can understand the Gospel, including repentance, and that salvation is a commitment to obeying Christ, not just a head belief concerning the facts about Christ.

You Do Not Want Your Children to Believe in Jesus Like They Believe in Santa Clause!

I fear that many times that is what happens, because parents are so scared their little kids are going to go to Hell or be left behind if the rapture happens, that they push them to say a prayer, and the kids do not truly understand it, and no one realizes that they did not truly get saved until they have already messed up their life as a teenager or even died and went to hell as an adult.

Salvation is not obtained by just believing that Jesus is real. It goes much deeper that that. A person must also truly repent of their sins and make a life long commitment to obeying Christ.

Now once a person is 18 1/2 years old you do not have to wonder if they can understand the Gospel or not, you know they can. Unless they have a mental illness that makes it to where they cannot understand on an adult level. In this case they are still in the state of innocence. God sees them as being legally incompetent, just like our American courts do. And most children can understand salvation between the ages of 7 and 13.

Now, When it Comes to the Rapture, the Bible Shows that the Children of Saved People (Under 18 1/2) Go With Them in the Rapture, Even if the Children Themselves Are Not Saved Yet.

1 Corinthians 7:14 -16″ But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?”

The Bible says that the children of saved people are Holy. The word Holy means “set apart.”

So, since all children go to heaven if they die, whether their parents are saved or not, then what would the children of saved people be “set apart” to?

It would have to be the rapture.

Therefore, when the rapture happens all children under 18 1/2, who have at least 1 parent that is saved, will be taken, even if they are not saved themselves yet.

How the False Doctrine of Children Being Accountable to God Affected My Brothers and I.

My parents believed that a child as young as 3 years old could be condemned to hell. And that the rapture was only for people who have made a decision for salvation. So, they believed that all babies would be left behind in the rapture.

My brothers and I all made professions of faith at 3 and 4 years old, because our parents thought we knew right from wrong, and were therefore already condemned to hell.

They were also afraid we would be left behind, if the rapture happened.

However, none of us kids truly understood salvation at those young ages, so none of us actually got saved at that time.

Now, I ended up truly getting saved at the age of 12.

My youngest brother truly got saved at the age of 7.

However, my middle brother did not truly get saved until he was 22 years old (about 4 years after reaching adulthood).

He showed he was having doubts at the age of 16, but Dad blew up at him saying “We are missionaries and were supposed to already be saved!

He finally ended up getting saved at the age of 22 after our Dad left.

My brother is a very disciplined person, so he never got into any really bad sins like drinking or doing drugs, but he still was not saved. Being a good person does not save you. You must believe the Gospel, repent of your sins , and make a lifelong commitment to obeying Christ. My brother was struggling with believing in the resurrection, but God convinced Him and he got saved.

Therefore, the false doctrine of the Baptist that children must get saved or they will go to hell or miss the rapture actually put my brother in danger of going to hell, because he reached adulthood without being saved, after being pressured into making a profession at 4 and then practically being forbidden to get saved at 16 by Dad.

And I believe there are many other people in the same situation.

This Is Why Over 80% of Children Raised In Christian Homes, Become Atheist In College!

This is why the Church Is Losing Their Children!

They are not truly saved! They have never been saved! They were pressured into making a profession as a child, and then looked down on if they ever questioned it!

So, then when they get into college and become exposed to liberal ideologies they end up believing them, because they do not have the Holy Spirit in them.

The Bible Teaches Very Plainly that a Truly Saved Person Cannot Completely Turn Away From God and Become an Atheist.

Psalms 14:1 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

Jesus said that a person who believes in Him is wise, like a man who builds his house on a rock. (Luke 6:48)

A person cannot be saved and an Atheist at the same time. if someone becomes an Atheist, they were never saved!

1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Yes, children need to get saved! Not to immediately protect their souls, but to preserve their souls! So they do not perish (spiritually die)! As Jesus said, it is not the Father’s will for them to perish! Meaning: ending up becoming lost sheep condemned to hell as adults! Jesus said not to despise the little ones (meaning do not forbid them to get saved), because the Father does not want them to become condemned to hell, when they reach adulthood!

And Yes, Children’s ministries (like bus ministries, AWANA, etc), are vital! Not only so that children can get saved in innocence, and never actually be lost and condemned to hell, but so that if both of their parents are lost and the rapture happens, then the saved child will be taken!

But make sure children truly understand salvation. Do not pressure them into making a decision they do not truly understand. And never look down on anyone for doubting their salvation. There is nothing wrong with anyone doubting their salvation and making a new commitment to Christ. God commands all Christians to doubt their salvation and make sure they are in the faith! 2 Corinthians 13:5a “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” If anyone is ever doubting their salvation just explain the Gospel to them again, and then lead them to make a new commitment to Christ. Because we cannot see the person’s heart! We cannot know if they are truly saved! No matter how good of a life they live! Therefore, we have no right to ever tell anyone that they are saved and not to be concerned about it! Convincing someone that they are saved is the Holy Spirit’s job, not ours!

I pray this gives you peace, knowing that your children under the age of 18 1/2 years old will go to heaven if they die, and will be taken in the rapture, even if they have not gotten saved yet. They are protected, and are not accountable to God for their sins yet. However, most children can truly understand salvation by the time they are 13.

And no, your children will not have to make a decision for Christ in the Millennial Reign. There is no biblical support for that. The Bible says very clearly that after death is judgment (Hebrews 9:27). How a person dies is how they spend eternity. If they die in innocence, they spend eternity in innocence in heaven.

Author: Desiree Jordan

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, End Times, Rapture, Wisdom

What It Means To Watch For Christ’s Return

Jesus Coming In The Clouds
Jesus Coming In The Clouds

The Bible says in Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

Your garments become dirty by sin.

Jude 1:23 “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. “

Therefore, we are to watch for Christ’s coming by being diligent to not sin and by quickly repenting wen we do sin.

The Consequences of not watching for Christ’s Return.

Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

This mean that if we are committing a sin at Christ’s return, then Jesus will expose our sin to everyone and openly judge us for it. Everyone is going to know about it, we will lose rewards, and we will be ashamed.

Now, the Bible teaches that any sins we have repented of Jesus will not judge us for, nobody will ever know about them, and we will not be ashamed.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”

The Bible says in 1 John 4:17 that we can have boldness in the day of judgment.

Boldness is the exact opposite of shame.

Moreover, A true Christian cannot fall into really bad sins like adultery, murder, theft, bearing false witness against someone, drunkeness, or drug addiction, because the Holy Spirit will not allow them to fall that bad. He puts God’s love into our hearts and makes it impossible for us to commit the worst sins. Someone who falls into those kinds of sins has never been saved.

To learn more about this and other really bad sins that the Holy Spirit keeps true Christians from falling into, please go to http://shiningthelightministries.com/2021/05/12/sins-a-saved-person-cannot-fall-into/

However, A true Christian is capable of falling into sins like: impatience, crankiness, apathy, worry, gossip, pride unforgiveness, selfishness, leaving their first love (no longer seeing Jesus as their Dearest Friend. Meaning they are serving Him, but they see it as more of a Master/Servant Relationship instead of truly serving Him out of love like in a Dear Friendship. Revelation 2:4), etc.

For example, if Jesus comes back and you are arguing with your spouse over something that either does not matter or you are in the wrong, then you are not going to have time to repent before judgment. Jesus is going to openly expose that sin and judge you for it, everyone is going to know that you were arguing with your spouse, you are going to lose rewards, and you are going to be openly ashamed.

Therefore, we need to be watching for Christ’s return by being diligent to not sin and by quickly repenting when we do sin, so that we are not ashamed.

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare, Wisdom

What Is A Mature Christian?

What is A Mature Christian?

A Mature Christian is Not Envious of Other Christians.

 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

I have seen stuff like this in churches my whole life! We are supposed to worship God, not preachers!

Another type of envy I have seen a lot is where one Christian will be envious against another Christian because of their talents, or their calling.

We are supposed to humbly serve God in whatever calling He gives us; with whatever talents He gives us.

1 Corinthians 12:14-31 “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

The More Excellent Way Is Charity.

A Mature Christian Has True Charity

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

True charity is not just giving to the poor. True charity is producing the fruits of the Spirit.

A Mature Christian Consistently Produces the Fruits of the Spirit.

If you compare charity with the fruits of the Spirit, you will see they match.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

A Mature Christian Bears the Infirmities of the Weak.

Romans 15:1-5 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:”

1 Thessalonians 5:14 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

Some people are weak and feebleminded and struggle with things like depression, and anxiety. A mature Christian will be patient with these people, listen to them and comfort them.

A Mature Christian Views Trials as Training

James 1:2-7 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

I have realized that most of the trials in my life have been caused by my own ignorance. That is why the Bible says to ask God for wisdom in the passage above, because wisdom will keep us from falling into so many trials.

2 Perter 1:5-8 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

However, we are not to tempt God by asking Him to send us trials.

Jesus showed us in the Lord’s prayer that we are to ask God to have mercy on us and not lead us into trials.

Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The word “temptation” in this verse means to try and roots back to a Greek word meaning to test (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries # 3986 and then #3985 both in the Greek.)

The word “evil” in this verse can mean bad, hurtful, or even “figuratively calamitous; also (passively) ill, that is, diseased.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries #4190 in the Greek.)

Therefore, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus showed us that we should always pray that the Father has mercy on us and does not test or try our faith by sending us calamity or disease.

I have never heard this preached. God showed my family and I this a few years ago, and we have seen God protect us and deliver us from some situations that could have been very calamitous financially and health-wise.

 Now, God will still test your faith some, (He still tests us some at times with little problems), so trust Him to meet your needs.      

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

The more you trust God the more apt He will be to not try your faith, because you have already proven your faith to Him.

God never took everything away from Job again.

A Mature Christian has a Strong Prayer Life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Luke 10:2 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Luke 22:40 “And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

A Mature Christian Trusts God and Does Not Worry.

Matthew 6:24-34 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

A Mature Christian Knows the Bible Well Enough to Teach Others .

Hebrews 5:12-14 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

A Mature Christian Can Spot the Wolves.

Hebrews 5:12-14 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

A mature Christian knows the Bible well enough to be able to spot wolves who are preaching heresy, being deceptive in their preaching, and are not living right.

They will not be led astray to destruction by a wolf.

To learn how to spot these dangerous wolves please read my post at http://shiningthelightministries.com/2021/06/08/kick-the-wolves-out-of-the-church/

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, Prayer, Wisdom

Trust in God Not Yourself

pray

We are to trust in God for everything. Not in our own hearts or thoughts.

Pray about every decision.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

If we are always mindful to pray and seek God’s will in everything, then He will lead us in the right path and we will not make mistakes.

Why can’t we just trust in our own heart?

We are never to lean on our own understanding, and think that we can handle things ourselves, because our own hearts can deceive us and lead us the wrong way.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Our own understanding can lead us to death.

Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

The Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

God wants us to ask Him for wisdom in everything. Nothing is too small or too big.

James 1:5-8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

God’s wisdom will always lead you right.

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

Trust in God for all your answers and you will live a life without regrets.

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, Wisdom

Edifying Speech

A Kind Word is Like a Spring Day

God commands us to use edifying speech.

The Bible says in Romans 15:2 “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”

To edify means to “build up” (see the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries #s 3619, 3624, and 1430 in the Greek dictionary).

We are not to hurt people’s feelings through joking.

The Bible also says in Ephesians 5:1-7 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.”

Right in the midst of a list of terrible sins in Ephesians 5:1-7, God deals with some sins of the tongue, and right in the midst of these sins of the tongue, God says that jesting (teasing, bullying, joking, picking on people, etc) is a sin. And then God says later that His wrath falls on people for these sins!

As Christians we are to love others, not tease them and hurt their feelings.

Some Christians have a wrong belief that people must be thick skinned, and that it is immature for a Christian to get their feelings hurt.

They get this by not understanding the proper definition of the word “offend” in Psalms 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”

This verse does not mean that a strong Christian will not get their feelings hurt. The word offend in this verse means “cause to sin.” (see the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries #s 4383, and 3782 in the Hebrew dictionary).

This verse simply means that a strong, mature Christian will never turn away from God for any reason.

The truth is, it is not immature to get your feelings hurt, it is immature, and a sin, to tease and bully someone and hurt their feelings. Even a child knows this!

Our speech should always be wrapped in thankfulness to God, and the purpose of everything we say is to be to edify the person we are speaking too.

Even if we have to correct someone, who is doing wrong, our goal should never be to hurt their feelings, but to build them up by pointing them to a higher relationship with God.

 Although when you correct someone, their feelings are usually hurt, because no one likes to be corrected.

The Bible says in Luke 17:3 “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”

Sometimes this kind of speech is necessary, but our goal should still be to build them up to a higher relationship with God, not hurt their feelings.

As Ephesians 5:1-7 shows, God takes sins of the tongue very seriously, so we need to always think before we say anything.

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, Prayer, Wisdom

Shelter In The Storm

Shelter In The Storm

God is judging the world right now, but For Christians, who are right with God, Jesus is our shelter in the storm.

Proverbs 3:25-26 “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

Psalms 91:

1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”

Isaiah 43:1b-2 “…Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

God is always with us, and nothing can separate us from His love.

Hebrews 13:5b “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Matthew 28:20b “…I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  

We must watch, and pray always that we may be accounted worthy to escape all the bad things that God will send on the earth.

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

We must judge ourselves so that we are not judged by God with the world. (We must keep prayed up and repented up.)

Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

1 Corinthians 11:32 “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

1 Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”

In addition, Jesus showed in the Lord’s prayer that we should pray that God the Father does not test us.

Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The word “temptation” in this verse means to try and roots back to a Greek word meaning to test (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hrebrew Dictionaries # 3986 and then #3985 both in the Greek.)

The word “evil” in this verse can mean bad, hurtful, or even “figuratively calamitous; also (passively) ill, that is, diseased.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hrebrew Dictionaries #4190 in the Greek.)

Therefore, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus showed us that we should always pray that the Father has mercy on us and does not test or try our faith by sending us calamity or disease.

I have never heard this preached. God showed my family and I this a few years ago, and we have seen God protect us and deliver us from some situations that could have been very calamitous financially and health-wise.

 Now, God may still test your faith some, (He still tests us some at times with little problems), so trust Him to meet your needs.       

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

The more you trust God the more apt He will be to not try your faith, because you have already proven your faith to Him.

God never took everything away from Job again.

Do not worry or complain, just trust Him, and He will work everything out for your good.

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Now, that “good” primarily means that you will end up being more like Christ, not necessarily that you will have everything you want.           

Be thankful for and Content with what you have.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

I pray this encourages you and helps you through this storm.

May God bless you and protect you, as you seek to please Him in all things.

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, Prayer, Salvation, Wisdom

God’s Prescription for America and the World

God's prescription

God has a prescription of healing and restoration for America, and the rest of the world. God does not want to destroy people, He wants to save people. God has a beautiful plan for everyone, if they would just turn to Him in faith and obedience.

God’s Prescription

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

A lot of people are talking about praying, but God does not just require us to pray. He also requires us to humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and seek Him. Only then will He hear our prayers and heal our land!

God’s will

It is God’s perfect will that our Country continues and is prosperous until Christ’s return. However, God cannot tolerate sin, and if America refuses to turn back to Him then we are at risk of losing everything.

We are under God’s judgment.

Right now, a deadly virus is sweeping throughout our nation and the world. There are also severe storms sweeping through America right now.

God is angry, folks! Because His people refuse to obey Him, and the lost people hate Him and mock His Name!

We are living on the brink of destruction, and it is only by God’s mercy that we have not already been consumed!

Things will only get worse until people repent and turn to obeying Him.

We can stop God’s judgment.

God’s judgment can end, and revival can break out all over the world, if God’s people would repent, obey Him, and pray for revival and healing.

What you need to do if you are a Christian, but not completely right with God.

If you are a backslidden Christian, you need to repent now and start praying that God has mercy and sends revival and heals America and the rest of the world. God will make your problems keep getting worse until you turn back to Him!

What you need to do if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you need to do it now so that you do not go to Hell. Many people are dying right now, even some young and healthy people are dying from the Corona virus. You never know when you will die. God does not promise you another minute.

Please go to the page How to get to Heaven to learn how you can trust in Jesus now. It is not just saying a prayer. It requires a lot more that just that.

What you need to do if you are a Christian and are right with God.

Lastly, if you are a Christian and are right with God, pray for revival, warn people of God’s judgment, and tell them how to get saved or get right with God. Be sure to trust God to meet your needs, and try your best to not complain, but praise God and thank Him for everything that you have. Ask Him to give you wisdom on how to live during these times, and then do what He says.

Basic Doctrines, Bible Study, Christian Living, Encouragement, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare, Wisdom

How to resist the Devil

How to Resist the Devil

Every Christian needs to know how to properly resist the Devil, so they can be most effective for God, and so they do not fall into sin and bring disgrace upon Christ.

The Bible says how we get rid of the Devil is too:

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Now, this does not mean that the Devil only fights people who are not submitted to God already.

Job was right with God and the Devil viciously attacked him. (See Job chapter 1)

Moreover, the Bible also says that we must put on the whole armour of God in order to properly resist the Devil.

Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Here are some practical things you can do to put on the armour of God, and make the Devil flee from you:

Pray a lot, keep God in all your thoughts (stay in an attitude of prayer constantly with thanksgiving).

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Psalms 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (If God is not in all the thoughts of the wicked, then He should be in all the thoughts of a Christian.)

Philippians 4:6-9 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Read the Bible a lot (especially John and Psalms).

Psalms 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”

Psalms 119:52 “I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.”

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”


John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”


John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

2 Peter 1:2 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”

Listen to a lot of comforting and soothing Christian music, like Hymns, not Christian Rock.

Christian Rock will excite your emotions too much. You need to listen to calming Christian music, like hymns, so you can truly be still and know that God is God. (see Psalm 46:10)

You can find a lot of these kinds of videos on you tube, especially ones that are just instrumental.

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Ephesians 5:17-20 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

Also, continually do things that you know pleases God, and don’t do anything that you know would displease Him.

Titus 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”

Now, the word perfect there does not mean that you can be completely sinless, but rather that you be submitted to Go by not intentionally sinning.

This is how you resist the Devil. If you keep doing these things the Devil will flee from you, and you will have peace.

However, as long as you are in this life, the Devil will probably come back and bother you again in time, but every time, just resist him like this, and he will leave.