Answers

By   •   June 1, 2004   •   Topics: , ,

Q:

What does the Bible mean when it says that the devil believes in God? Isn't that what we're supposed to do before we can go to heaven? But the devil's not going to heaven, is he?


A:

No, I can assure you that the devil is not going to heaven, nor are his followers. Jesus said that at the final judgment God will say, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

It is true that the devil “believes” in God–that is, he believes God exists. But this is a far cry from the kind of faith we are called to have. To truly believe in God means to trust Him–in other words, we not only believe He exists, but we actually commit our lives to Him and trust Him to save us through Jesus Christ.

Yes, the devil believes God exists–in fact, he has no doubts about it. But he doesn’t trust God to save him; instead, he has set himself up in opposition to God and wants nothing to do with him. He also knows that some day the final battle will be fought and that God alone will be victorious. That is why the Bible says, “Even the demons believe that–and shudder” (James 2:19). Satan will not win!

The Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Don’t be content with a shallow belief, but by faith commit your life to Christ and trust Him alone for your salvation.