COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

“This means Satan cannot transfuse his nature into the Christian, as fire touching wood or iron changes and absorbs it into its own nature.

False doctrines, like false witnesses, do not agree among themselves. We might well name them "Legion," for they are many. But truth is whole, and one Scripture harmonizes sweetly with another. Thus, although God used many different men to pen His sacred Word, He made sure they all had but one mouth: "Luke 1:70 (AMP) This is as He promised by the mouth of His holy prophets from the most ancient times [in the memory of man]. The best way, therefore, to know the mind of God in a particular text is to compare it to another text. The stonecutter uses a diamond to cut another diamond. Like crystal glass set next to each other, each Scripture casts a peculiar light on the others.

Now in comparing Scripture with Scripture, be careful to interpret the obscure by the more plain, not the clear by the dark. Error creeps into the most shaded places and takes sanctuary there: "2Pet. 3:16 (AMP) Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures. 1John 5:18 (AMP) We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ’s divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him]. But no wonder people stumble in these dark places, when they have turned their backs on the light of plainer passages offering to lead them safely through.

"Some people run away with this text and rationalize that they can claim perfection and freedom from all sin in this life; but a multitude of plain Scripture like 1 John 1:8 testify against such a conclusion: " 1John 1:10 (AMP) If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts]. So we must understand, then, that it is in a limited sense that one "born of God does not sin." 1John 5:18 (AMP) We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ’s divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him].”

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617