“And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” – Mark 3:11
It’s interesting to realize that demons always knew Who Jesus was! They knew Him to be the Christ, the Son of God. They knew He had complete power over them. So what’s the difference between a demon who knows Jesus is the Son of God and a Christian who believes Jesus is the Son of God?
Obedience, submission, and following. Demons know, but don’t willingly obey Jesus. They don’t submit themselves to the Lordship of Christ. They don’t willingly follow Him wherever He leads, even when they follow His commands.
When Jesus speaks of the saving power of belief in Him, that’s never referring to mere intellectual agreement that He is Who He is. Demons have that kind of belief and it does them no good. True belief in Christ describes faith that results in submission, obedience, and following. Belief in Christ must move you to action in fidelity to Him. If your belief in Jesus doesn’t lead you to life changing action, it isn’t saving faith. If your faith leaves your life looking pretty much the same as your non-Christian neighbor, then it may be closer to what the demons have.
If you’re a Christian but haven’t yet submitted your life to Christ’s Lordship and leadership, make that commitment now. Repent of your rebellious desire to accept Jesus on your terms and ask God’s forgiveness. He will forgive, but you must submit, obey, and seek to follow Jesus each day in the power of the Holy Spirit. Not every day will be perfect, and there’s grace for that, but every day should be different in Christ!