You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Who is James arguing with?
Have you ever listened to someone talking on the phone? You can hear one side of the conversation, but not the other. Listening to one side only leaves us guessing at what the person on the other end of the line is saying.
Reading James’ letter is a bit like that.
James is responding to things he has heard about what is going on in the world around him. God has stirred him to write this short letter and in it, he responds to many different topics. Instead of arguing point by point like someone on the phone might, James has had to save up all his answers for one intense response.
It sounds to me like he has been told that some people claim to “believe” in Jesus, but they refuse to act according to God’s will. Perhaps you have talked to people with the same attitude?
Some people are inclined to claim that going to church is enough. I have heard this attitude referred to as taking out “fire insurance.” They go to church but their actions do not reflect any understanding of God’s Word or His heart for his children. To paraphrase what I’ve heard, they ‘party all week and ask forgiveness on Sunday.’
James responds with his arguments about how our deeds advertise the faith we have in our hearts. In today’s verse, he takes his argument one step further. He compares people who say that they believe in God but who don’t act like God is real to demons.
Application: Once again we are challenged to examine our faith and see if it is real or what might be called a ‘faux faith.’
Food for Thought: What does James point to as the difference between faux believers and demons that makes the demons look smarter than the other?
Demons know beyond any shadow of a doubt exactly who Jesus is. Their response is informative. They shudder in fear. They know Who they are dealing with and respond accordingly. I think it is foolish to know Who Jesus is and respond in a way that does not acknowledge His holiness, power and majesty. Yet, I still manage to do it.
Rich,
Thanks so much for your insight on this! One reason we struggle “seeing” Jesus for who he is has to do with living in the physical realm. When we pass on to the next life, we will have a better view of Jesus’ majesty and holiness. The odd thing about demons is that they exist in the realm where they have a knowledge of who Jesus is and they still choose (chose?) to defy him.
Hmm, choose or chose was interesting 🤔 I’ve always assumed they chose and that was that. Using choose may imply there is a redemptive way out? Definitely above my pay grade.
RM
RM –
Thanks for the comment! The answer is above my ‘pay grade’ too. 🙂 So many things are beyond our ability to know in this life. Personally, I think it is important to acknowledge what we can’t know. It keeps us humble and avoids stepping on the toes of the only One who has the authority to decide.
Deuteronomy 29 29