The Shepherd of Hermas

Believe, therefore, in God, though you have renounced your life through your sins, and have added to your sins, and have made your life heavy, that if you turn to the Lord with all your heart, and do righteousness, for the rest of the days of your life, and serve him in uprightness, according to his will, he will heal your former sins, and you shall have power to master the works of the devil. But do not fear the threat of the devil at all, for he is powerless as the sinews of a dead man.

Listen, therefore, to me, and fear him who has all power, to save and to destroy, and keep these commandments, and you shall live to God.

I said to him: Sir, now I have received power in all the ordinances of the Lord, because you are with me, and I know that you will break down all the power of the devil, and we shall master him, and have power against all his deeds. And I hope, sir, that I shall now be able to keep these commandments which you have commanded, the Lord giving me strength.

You shall keep them, said he, if your heart be pure towards the Lord, and all who ever purify their hearts from the vain desires of this world shall keep them, and shall live to God.

He said to me, You know that you, as the[*](Christians are strangers in the world) servants of God, are living in a strange country,[*](The idea of the conflict of interests between earthly and heavenly citizenship is common in early Christian literature. Cf. Heb. 13, 14. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.) for your city is far from this city. If then you know your city, in which you are going to dwell, why do you here prepare lands and costly establishments and buildings and vain dwellings?

He therefore, who prepares these things for this city, is not able to return to his own city.