What does it mean in James 2:19 that 'even the demons believe'?

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TL;DR:

Even the demons believe means that even demons acknowledge who God is and believe certain things about Him; however, this is not saving faith. True belief results in surrendering our lives to Christ and living for Him. Genuine faith is more than intellectual assent; it must lead to a changed life.

from the old testament

  • The demons “believe” because they have witnessed all God has done since before the creation of the earth (Ezekiel 28:13).
  • When James said in the New Testament, "You believe that God is one," he was referencing a deeply held tenet of the Jewish faith. Every day Jews recite the Shema, a prayer containing Deuteronomy 6:4 that states, "The LORD our God, the LORD is one." But simply believing the LORD (Yahweh) of the Bible exists is not what brings salvation.
  • Instead, Psalm 51:17 teaches that the sacrifices God accepts are "a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart." Recognizing God's holiness and our lack of living up to that standard, repentance from those ways, and reliance on God's mercy and grace alone is what saves us. When one comes to this posture of humility before God, it leads to a surrender of the will—a willingness to allow God to rule one's emotions, thoughts, and actions. This attitude of surrender to God is what the demons lack.

from the new testament

  • In James 2:19 James writes, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" The demons believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for the sins of the world, and that He was raised on the third day.
  • In Mark 1:24 when Jesus cast out an evil spirit from a man, the spirit said, "I know who you are—the Holy One of God." This understanding of Jesus is what James is referring to when he wrote that "even the demons believe."
  • True belief leads to surrender, and surrender to God is evidenced by one’s actions, as James points out: "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). True faith results in works like helping the needy and maintaining purity, demonstrating that genuine surrender to God leads to salvation and active, compassionate living (James 1:27; 2:8, 15–16). The demons’ belief does not lead them to surrender to God; their belief does not lead to action or fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8).
  • James makes a distinction between being merely a hearer of the word and being an actual doer of the word (James 1:22–25). Jesus also gives us a word picture for this truth. In Matthew 7:24–27, Jesus says, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." Faith that stands is a faith put into practice and lived out in a way that follows God's Word and results in loving God and loving one's neighbor (Mark 12:30–31). Faith that is merely an intellectual assent to the realities of God without a surrender of the will as evident in one's actions is not a saving faith. This distinction is what James was teaching in James 2:19 when he pointed out that "even the demons believe."

implications for today

The passage from James 2:19, which tells us that "even the demons believe—and shudder," reminds us that merely acknowledging God's existence is insufficient for a saving faith. We need to know what we believe and make sure we are trusting in the truth of who God is and what He has done (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). We also need to make sure we are trusting in Christ alone by grace alone for salvation– nothing we do can save us; it is all about trusting in what Christ has done for us (Ephesians 2:1–10). Once we have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, our salvation is secure (Ephesians 1:3–14), but we need to evaluate whether our belief in God is transforming our daily lives and actions. True faith goes beyond intellectual assent and is revealed in the way we live out God's commands, such as loving our neighbors, serving others, and living in a way that reflects Him to the world (2 Peter 1:3–11). Many people claim to be believers, but only those who have actually trusted in Christ are saved, and those who do that will live lives that are fundamentally changed by this truth. Our belief in Christ actively shapes our behavior, priorities, attitudes, and decisions. A mere superficial acknowledgment of God’s existence is not enough to save us.

understand

  • Even demons believe in God's existence and power but do not possess saving faith due to their lack of repentance and surrender.
  • Genuine faith involves more than intellectual assent; it requires a transformative surrender to God.
  • True faith is evidenced by actions that reflect God's commands.

reflect

  • How does your belief in God influence your daily actions and decisions? Are there areas where you see a gap between your belief and your behavior?
  • How can you cultivate a deeper, transformative surrender to God in your life, moving beyond mere acknowledgment to active faith?
  • How do you ensure that your faith is not just intellectual but is evidenced by tangible actions that reflect God's commands and character?

engage

  • How does the concept of demons believing and shuddering challenge common perceptions and misperceptions of what constitutes true faith?
  • What does the difference look like between an intellectual understanding of faith and a transformative, action-resulting faith?
  • How can the example of demons' belief in James 2:19 be used as we share our faith with others?