Monotheistic Demons

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

What is it that is important for a person to have true faith in God? Let’s consider two things. First, good theology seems essential. Monotheism—a belief that there is one god—is a great start. It was at the core of the Jewish belief system. Deuteronomy 6:5 would have been their John 3:16, and it began with the understanding that ‘the Lord is one.’ They were taught about this just before they entered into the Promised Land, where they would encounter many false Gods. But apparently, good theology in and of itself is not enough. The demons had good theology too. I don’t think they are the best examples of faith though.

How about fearing God? After all, we hold the fear of the Lord as an essential part of our faith. In the Old Testament, we are told many times over to ‘fear the Lord and keep his commandments.’ How many times have you heard people describe someone as a ‘God fearing man?’ It is meant as a compliment. But while the demons hardly kept God’s commands, James says that they had a definite terror of God.

This hits me personally in a couple of ways. First, as a pastor, I have a deep love for theology. I love to discuss it, argue it, and share it. But often I forget that theology is meant to be lived out. If we don’t live it out, then it really has made no difference in our lives. Secondly, it hits me with my interpersonal relationships. I have several friends who have ‘good theology’ or that would be described as ‘God-fearing people.’ They have a silent belief in God that they rarely share and really doesn’t affect them all that much. When I understand this Scripture and others, I realize that I need to make sure not only that they ‘ask Jesus into their hearts,’ or that they are baptized, etc. I also need to make sure that they are living out their faith towards others.

I guess I can’t just limit that to people outside the church though. We as a people of faith must constantly guard ourselves against this temptation to have good theology that doesn’t change us. That is simply not good theology at all.