What is demonic faith and do demons exist in Christian traditions?
In Christian beliefs, demons are fallen spiritual beings who cannot be changed and have eternal life. If we go by Christian Demonology, the fallen angels or demons lead the followers to the path of sin. The Bible even mentions demonic faith as one of the faiths, and verse James 2:19 clearly states that the demons acknowledge the presence of the One Lord, and they tremble in his name.
However, demonic faith does not follow the path of the Lord and his Son. So, what is this demonic faith? Let’s delve deeper.
What is Demonic Faith in the Bible?
The demonic faith is considered disturbing as it distracts the believers from the true path of Christianity, which is associated with good deeds and not faith alone. Verse James 2:24 echoes the same by saying that a person is considered ethical by his actions and not just his faith.
Even in verse 2:20 of James, James is calling the people who seek examples of the futility of faith without action as foolish. The verses in James: 15-16 also say that when a person is without food or cloth, they cannot be comforted with words of faith only. So, despite the demons’ faith in the existence of God, their actions that cause fear and deviate people from the right path, cannot be seen as righteous ones.
Even if we look at the other Biblical verses, we will find out how Satan, the worshipped master of the demons, tried to seduce even Jesus to the path of sin. In verses Mattew 4:1-9, we will see that Satan is asking Jesus to “bow down” before him to get all the abundance in the world.
And verse Mattew 4:10 highlights how Jesus asked Satan to stay away from him and devote himself to the worship of the one and only Lord. So, it can be said that the faith the demons believed in always led them into rivalry, anger, deceit, and violence, and these cannot be attributes of a peaceful and virtuous life.
Further, in verses Galatians 5:20-21, it is said that people who are jealous, selfish, and love discords will never be able to attain the “Kingdom of God.” Verse Galatians 5:22 says again that practicing patience, love, and peace is the righteous thing to do.
Does Demonic Faith Believe in the Bible?
The demons/devils believe Jesus Christ is the “Son of God.” They are also well versed in the preachings of the Bible. The demons’ knowledge of the Bible is reflected in Revelation 12:12 verse. The verse says that the devil is filled with anger as he knows his time is limited. But from where did he gain this knowledge? This knowledge was acquired from the prophecies of the Bible.
If we go through Matthew: 4 verses, we will see how Satan, the Lord of demons, tried to tempt Jesus to commit sins. The evil spirit referred to Psalm 91:11 verse, which said the Lord would ask his angels to safeguard Jesus and all the believers even in the most adverse situations. Again, Satan quoted Psalm 91:12 verse, which preached that the angels would lift the Son with their hands to save his feet from getting hurt by a stone.
We can see how Satan used the verses from the Bible to divert Jesus Christ from the true path. However, Satan refused to follow the true path of Christianity as depicted in the Holy Bible. Similarly, The demonic faith believes in the Bible, but it does not abide by the Holy Book.
Is Demonic Faith Good?
Faith is about your conviction in the existence of a supreme entity, and your faith, especially the religious one, can have a major role in your actions. In other words, your actions or behaviors should be aligned with your faith. In this very context, the demonic faith is a little unsettling.
You will find that the demonic faith admits the presence and power of God, but it refuses to follow the path charted by God. There is a constant discord between faith and action. If we consider it on a human level, there can be no peace if we believe in something good, but simply refuse to accept it just for the sake of being rebellious.
Again, as we have mentioned earlier, love and kindness can help believers to receive the Kingdom of God. If we go by Luke 17:21 verse, Jesus says that God’s Kingdom is in the midst of the believers. Inheriting or attaining the Kingdom of God may well indicate being familiar with the true soul inside.
Furthermore, demonic faith is associated with emotions like anger, and envy. Anger can ruin our mental health if we talk about our day-to-day lives. Besides, these emotions often lead to violent behaviors and actions.
It would not be wise to glorify these emotions and related manifestations as signs of non-conformity or revolution. Rather, these things can really imprison our visions and thoughts. These can hamper our inner peace, making us unable to see and understand the positive things around us.
Does Demonic Faith Lack Truth?
Let’s have a look at the John: 42-47 verses, and we will find out that Jesus projects himself as the messenger of the Lord. He also says that his opponents are unable to understand his words because the devil, their father, is a liar. That is why, they do not believe the real truth, coming from Jesus Christ himself.
If we infer, we will see how anger, envy, impatience, and deceit, the very attributes of the devil, limit our vision. We fail to understand the actual reality beyond the facts lying before us. Furthermore, we often commit the mistake of seeking proof for the truth that already exists universally.
Once again, in Job 1:11, Satan actually said to the Lord that his followers do not worship him, and they are only concerned about the benefits that come because of it. He also claims the faith of the believers of God to be false, questioning the pious bond between the worshipper and the worshipped.
Once again, there are many Biblical verses and Christian practices that acknowledge the unification of the human soul with the Supreme Lord. Calling the faith in the Lord false will be the mortification of human souls.
Demonic Faith and Gnosticism
The demonic faith presents Satan as a powerful adversary of God. In Christian beliefs, Satan is evil, and his power is controlled by God, the Almighty. In Luke 22:31 verse, Jesus is saying to Simon that Satan wants him and others to sieve like wheat. However, believers should not give up their faith as Jesus has prayed for them. Once again, Revelation 20:10 verse affirms that God will defeat the devil and the devil will be eternally doomed.
Nevertheless, this very presence of two powerful and opponent existences can be traced back to Gnosticism. In Gnosticism, the Good Lord reigns over the mind and spirit. The Evil Lord is the ruler of nature and the material world. The same beliefs can be found in the Christian concept of Good and Evil. Dualism in Christianity preaches that God has blessed and separated human beings from him with free will, and thus the very essence of dualism is established.
Demonic Faith and Christian Duality of Good and Evil
If we read the Old Testament and New Testament, we will see how devils or demons are present as adversaries of the Lord and his Son, Jesus Christ. However, a more believable definition of “evil” can be found in the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas. He was one of the most revered Christian theologians. He defined evil as the absence of good.
The Church of Christ, Scientist believes that evil is born when we fail to acknowledge the good. We often are unable to understand the reality of the Lord and thus get misled. We end up making wrong or evil choices as we think them to be the true paths to achieving the desired.
In Christian demonology, the demons are angels who have lost their good qualities. Thus, it is once again establishing the co-existence of good and evil. Therefore, the demonic faith adds more prominence to the concept of duality in Christianity.
Good and Evil in Some Other Religions
Similar to Christianity, Hinduism and some other regions in the world acknowledge the presence of a powerful adversary of God.
If we talk about Hinduism, there are “Asuras,” who are powerful but evil and in constant discord with the Gods or “Devas.” There are some mystical and evil beings called “Rakshasas” in various Hindu scriptures. One of the most prominent examples of Rakshasas is Lord Ravana in the Ramayana.
However, all these evil forces were eliminated either by the Gods or their descents. Furthermore, some Chinese and Japanese religions believe in the existence of multiple devils and demons.
Final Thoughts for What Is Demonic Faith?
According to the Bible, demonic faith is associated with fear, anger, and envy. These emotions can impact our judgments, and we may fail to recognize what is right and what is not just. On the contrary, the faith in the Lord and his Son imparts peace, patience, and benevolence. The faith in Jesus Christ also encourages believers to implement the words of God in our actions in the form of leading an impersonal life and helping others.
We’ve explored a lot of dualism in this article, however, Christianity is actually premised on non-duality which you can read more about on our site.