“I believe…” We say it all the time. But what does it mean? One might define belief as a certainty that something is true. Our beliefs can normally be tested and proven true, and our belief in something does not imply our faith. James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” What separates our belief from that of the demons? The answer: nothing. There is no difference between us believing God is real and the demons believing God is real. The difference, which makes us holy and separate, is not in our belief; rather, the difference is in our faith that is founded on our belief. If this is the separation between us and the demons, I certainly want to have a faith so strong that it can move mountains. The Bible defines faith as the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). In other words, we can know that we have faith if we are shaping our actions to be evidence of what we believe is later to come. If I believe that the righteous will be in the kingdom of heaven, I will faithfully do whatever God says can make me righteous. If I believe that God’s word is never-changing and will be kept, I will faithfully ensure that I follow His word and know what His word says. If I believe that God is real, but do nothing about it, that belief will be worth nothing. So, to be different from the demons, we have to have true faith. James tells us in the same chapter how to have a faith that separates us from the demons: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2:21-24).
I need an action-based faith. Belief is not enough for God, so it’s not enough for me. I need to make my works/actions reflect God’s word and have a faith that makes my belief worth something. Yes, we need to believe in God. But with that belief, what will we do? “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26)