You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19)

“I believe in God,” says the majority of the world’s population. “I pray a lot,” says our humanist neighbor. “I believe God is in everything,” says our pantheist co-worker. “MY God would never cast anyone into hell. MY God is only loving and forgiving,” says the college student. “God” has become a popular subject, even politically correct in most circles. But there’s a catch: “God” is whatever we say He is. If believing in the existence of God is all that matters, Satan has us beat. He not only believes in God, but knows who He is, that Jesus is His Son, and that the Bible is true. So James is poking at those who assume that belief in God is enough. Does that kind of thinking work in the real world? Consider these people who tried it:

“I believe in financial responsibility,” says the shopaholic racking up more debt. “I believe in family first,” says the workaholic putting in 90 hours a week. “MY pasta doesn’t have calories,” says the 500-lb. foodaholic. “MY donuts are good for me.” We see the hypocrisy there, but have a hard time seeing it in the spiritual realm. Just as we don’t get to define other realities, we don’t get to define God. “MY god” may not require surrender, worship, obedience, and self-sacrifice, but the REAL God does. We’re not given the option of defining Him, but the privilege of discovering Him. He only becomes “MY God” when we bow to Him as Lord. The question that separates our knowledge of God from Satan’s is this: Is my belief validated by surrender?  

Final Thought:  How does your belief in God differ from Satan’s belief in God?

Prayer: Lord, check my heart. Am I praying to the right God or have I made up one in my head? Is my understanding of you based on what you’ve revealed in your word? Unlike Satan, I surrender to you as Lord in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.