DP 215 - Refrain from Evil as a Sin

DP 215 [13]

. . . a person does not know
whether he is led by the devil or by the Lord.
One who is led by the devil
performs useful services
for the sake of himself and the world,
whereas one who is led by the Lord
performs useful services
for the sake of the Lord and heaven.
And all those perform useful services
from the Lord
who refrain from evils as being sins,
whereas all those perform useful services
from the devil
who do not refrain from evils as sins.
For evil is the devil,
and useful service or good is the Lord.

By this and nothing else is the difference recognized.
In outward form the two appear alike,
but in their inward form they are totally unalike.

. . . One is like gold containing within it slag,
while the other is like gold containing pure gold.