Fear God, Not the Devil

“Fear the Lord,” he said, “and keep his commands. If you keep God’s commands you will be strong in everything you do, and the work you do will be beyond compare. Because you fear the Lord, you will do everything well. This is the fear you must have, and so be saved. “But do not fear the devil. If you fear the Lord you will be master over the devil, because there is no power in him. Where there is no power there is no fear either; but where the power is a glorious one, fear goes with it. Anyone who has power is feared, and anyone with no power is despised by everyone. So fear the deeds of the devil, because they are evil. If you fear the Lord you will not do them; you will keep away from them. [a]

“So there are two kinds of fear. If you want to do what is evil, fear the Lord, and you will not do it. And if, on the other hand, you want to do what is good, fear the Lord, and you will do it. That is how strong and great and glorious the fear of the Lord is. Fear the Lord, then, and you will live to him; and everyone who fears him and keeps his commands will live to God.”

“Why, sir,” I said, “did you say about those who keep his commands, ‘They will live to God’?” “Because,” he said, “all creation fears the Lord, but not all creation keeps his commands. Life with God belongs to those who fear him and keep his commands. As for those who do not keep his commands, there is no life in them.”