Demonic Faith (James 2:18-19)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-16-03

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Demonic Faith

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  James 2:18-19

 

            Message of the verse:  “18 But someone may well say, ‘you have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”  (NASB)  “18 Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.’  19 Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!”  (NLT)

            James writes about dead faith in verses 14-17, which is by intellect alone, and in this section he writes about demonic faith which involves not only the intellect but also the emotions.  It may be a bit surprising to some that demons have faith, and that because of that faith they tremble.  A careful look at the gospels can show that Jesus dealt with the demonic world many times, and when He would cast out a demon from a person many times He had to quiet the demon from speaking about who He truly was.  The demons know who the Lord Jesus Christ is and they tremble because of their knowledge of Him.  In Ephesians 6:10 and following Paul spoke of how believers are to protect themselves from the activities of demons.  I believe that one of the points that James is driving home here is that you can have faith but not have a saving faith, and his illustration is that of the demonic world. 

            In verse eighteen he makes a statement that shows the right relationship of faith and works where he writes, “and I will show you my faith by my works.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes, “Being a Christian involves trusting Christ and living for Christ; you receive the life, then you reveal the life.  Faith that is barren is not saving faith.”

This starts a new section, and a new chapter in the book “Be Mature” and Warren Wiersbe has entitled this chapter “False Faith,” and it goes from 2:14 to the end of chapter two which is verse 26.  We started out with verses 14-17 and this is probably the most misunderstood part of the letter that James has written, for in it some people have came to the conclusion the direct opposite of what James is writing about, for they have concluded that in order for a person to be accepted by God that all he has to do is “good works.”  We can see from James 1:18 and many, many other passages that this is not the case, for a man must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus spoke of this as did the rest of the NT writers.  Paul spent much of the first part of the book or Romans driving this point home to his readers. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  One of the things that I have been learning from the trial of my investments is that I cannot help God do anything, and I think that that principle is tied into this section of James.  I, as a true believer in Jesus Christ cannot just go out and start doing good works for the Lord without first talking to Him through prayer, and studying His Word, and then being sensitive to His Spirit as He leads me, for if I do not do the these things then I will probably not be doing the good works that the Lord wants me to be doing in my life.  Ephesians 2:10 speaks about this, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  I believe that this verse teaches that God has prepared works for me to do as a believer, and that when I come to Him by faith that He will reveal them to me and empower me to do them.  This is faith and works in action.

 

The Word of God was very refreshing to my heart, and was what I needed to hear this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I must say that I have had some doubts as to whether or not the Tuesday Bible study for our neighbors is of the Lord, and I have come to the conclusion that these doubts are from the enemy.  I trust that this Bible study is of the Lord and that He will use it to bring glory to Himself, and that I do not have to fret over whether or not certain people come, but to trust the Lord to bring those here that He wants here.