“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” (James 2:19 NLT)

In Matthew 7:21, Jesus warns about the most tragic surprise imaginable. “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (NLT). In this context, He’s talking about false prophets who pretend to serve Him while they lead people astray with their lies. But His words apply to anyone who claims to be a Christian but doesn’t have a relationship with Him.

Well-meaning people who call themselves believers will find out too late that they aren’t. The devastating mistake they make is relying on their own ideas of what it means to follow Christ. I grew up in a Christian family. I’m a good person. I go to church every Sunday. I say my prayers. I was baptized. I receive communion. I tithe. I believe in God.

James counters their thinking with a stark reminder. “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” Your faith resembles that of a demon. Now that’s a spiritual wake-up call!

But it’s true. Demons know all too well the truth about Jesus. The devil himself acknowledged that truth. Look at his words to Jesus during the temptation in the wilderness: “Since you are God’s Son, jump” (Matthew 4:6 MSG). The devil knew Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior. But he rebelled against that reality.

Knowing the truth about Jesus doesn’t make you a Christian. It’s a good start, but it’s not enough. Being part of a church doesn’t make you a Christian. It’s highly recommended for spiritual growth, but it’s not enough. Marrying a believer doesn’t make you a Christian. Your spouse’s faith doesn’t count for you.

Living a moral life doesn’t make you a Christian. You can’t follow Jesus on your own terms. In John 2:23–25, we read, “Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart” (NLT).

The people wanted what Jesus had to offer, but they weren’t willing to commit to Him, to put their faith in Him, to give their lives to Him.

Let’s make this clear. You become a Christian by admitting that you’re a sinner and that your sin has broken your relationship with God, recognizing that God’s punishment for sin is death, believing that Jesus died to take the punishment for your sin and rose from the grave to destroy the power of death, believing that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the only way to salvation and eternal life, and by confessing your sins to God, asking Him to forgive you, and inviting Jesus into your life.

Reflection question: How do you know that you’re a Christian?

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