Even the devils believe and tremble

Eastxn

Member
I am so sick and tired of people who don't believe in faith alone trying to quote this verse to prove their assertion of works. They conveniently leave out the first part of that same verse. The ENTIRE verse says:

James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble"

In other words even the devils believe God exists. You can believe God exists and still not have faith in the blood of Christ. Why can't people understand that simple difference?

they remind me of those that love to shout the first amendment where it says congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion....but they forget about the next sentence in that same amendment which says "neither shall they prohibit the free exercise thereof"
 
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Chris

Administrator
Staff member
This should be helpful for people to resist the false teachings that you are talking about. Some people just insist on making things more difficult than they are. :doh


Understanding James 2:19
By Jack Kelley

Question: Could you explain James 2:19 in relation to salvation and works? I’ve heard many use this verse to say “see, just believing isn’t enough for salvation because the demons believe and aren’t saved”. They say your fruit is indicated by your “works”. Can you put this into proper perspective?

Answer: James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.”

A simple reading of the passage tells the story. The demons believe there is one God because they’ve seen Him. The Jews also believe there’s one God, and so do the liberal denominations who teach that you don’t have to be born again to be saved.

But believing there’s a God is not sufficient for salvation. It takes the belief that He sent His son to die for us, and that the Son’s death purchased a pardon for our sins that allowed God to grant us eternal life. The Son’s resurrection is proof that we will be resurrected too.

God didn’t send His Son to save the demons, so all they can look forward to is judgment. That’s why they shudder.

People who say we have to generate good works to “prove” we’re saved are misinterpreting this verse. True belief will manifest good works of one kind or another, but Jesus said that the only work God requires for salvation is to believe in the One He sent (John 6:28-29), and the Bible is clear that our salvation is based on belief alone. John 1:12-13, John 3:16, John 5:24, John 6:40 are a few of many examples.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/understanding-james-219/
 

Chris

Administrator
Staff member
This one makes a good point as well. :)


Believe And Tremble
By Jack Kelley

Question: Thank you again for your incredible website!! There’s no telling how many people you’ve helped through it. As I’ve read untold numbers of questions and answers, I’ve found (and agree) that salvation is only by what you believe, rather than how you act. One thing that puzzles me, however, is that if all it takes is to believe, then why aren’t the demons mentioned in James 2:19 saved? According to James, the demons also believe…….and tremble.

Answer: James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder (tremble).” This verse is often used by people who want us to think it takes more than just belief to be saved. But if you read James 2:19 carefully, you’ll discover it doesn’t say the demons believe Jesus died for their sins, which is required for salvation. It says they believe there is one God. And of course they believe that. They’ve seen Him. But the fact is they’ve aligned themselves against Him, and at some level they must know that was a big mistake. That’s why they tremble.

James was making the point that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). A living faith will always produce a certain amount of Christ-like behavior in the life of a believer. But the Bible makes it very clear that our salvation is by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). The behavioral changes we make are the result of our salvation, not its cause. These changes vary from believer to believer and can be internal as well as external.

But the one factor that will ultimately determine whether or not a person is saved was stated in no uncertain terms when the people asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the work God requires of us?” It was the perfect opportunity for Him to list everything that’s necessary for our salvation. His answer? “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent” (John 6:28-29). If you believe that, nothing else matters. And if you don’t believe that, nothing else matters.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/believe-and-tremble/
 

ldonjohn

"God said it, that settles it!"

TheRedeemed

Well-Known Member
Yes how sad for those who will hear 'Depart from me you doers of iniquity, for I never knew you'.

They will feel so disappointed as they 'knew' Christ and worked wonders in His name, but believed what they were doing was their ticket to eternal salvation.

They knew Christ just like the demons and fallen angels do, but failed to grasp what His life and death was for/all about and never accepted Him as their saviour.

They relied on their 'works' to advance to the front of the queue, and found that in reality they never even made it to the back of the queue.

The demons and fallen ones don't have that option as they knew God personally and seen Him and they do indeed tremble at His name, for they know it means one day they will be judged and found guilty and imprisoned for eternity.
 
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