What does it really mean to believe in God? It’s possible to believe that God exists without allowing His Word to shape the way we think, live, and make decisions. True faith goes beyond acknowledging God—it means trusting what He says and letting that belief change us.

James 2:19 reminds us that even demons believe there is one God, challenging us to examine whether our faith is more than simply recognizing God’s existence. When we truly believe God, our lives begin to reflect that faith through our choices, obedience, relationships, and especially the way we love others. Following Jesus means allowing God’s truth to transform our hearts and our everyday lives.

Highlights

• The difference between believing in God and believing God
• Why genuine faith should change the way we live and make decisions
• What James 2:19 teaches us about simply acknowledging that God exists
• How Abraham’s faith demonstrates what it means to believe God’s promises
• Why our actions can reveal what we truly believe in our hearts
• How unbelief can quietly influence our choices and priorities
• Why loving others is one of the clearest ways our faith in Jesus becomes visible

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Full Transcript Below:

What Do You Believe?

By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” - James 2:19

What we believe about God is critical, determining how we live our daily lives and also determining our eternal futures.

It’s wise for us to ask, “Do we believe in God or do we believe God?” because there is a difference.

The first is believing there is a God, which is good and a start; the second is our believing God, meaning we believe what He says is true.

The difference they make in our lives is evident, too. Believing there is a God doesn’t mean we believe Him and live out His words in our lives; believing Him changes us.

As 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

It’s not difficult, either, for others to see what we truly believe in our lives. For example, if we believe what health experts tell us about how to live our lives, then we exercise, eat healthily, and live according to healthy principles.

So it is if we believe God. We’ll live according to His word, incorporating, practicing, and living out His godly principles in our lives.

Believing God Changes Us

In Luke 4:33-34, a demon recognizes who Jesus truly is. “In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Even a demon identified and believed in Jesus. Yet it’s through putting our faith in Him and believing His word that we are saved.

The Apostle Paul describes in Romans 4:3, “What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”

Faith is critical, as Hebrews 11:6 explains, “And 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.”

Paul wrote in Acts 16:31, “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’”

The “believing in” Paul is referring to is more than just believing God exists; it’s believing Him, rooted in faith that changes us.

Keeping Unbelief at Bay

Many people in the world acknowledge Jesus, yet do not believe what He says: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).

Unbelief disguises itself in many ways, and one way is by people thinking they believe, while in their hearts, they really don’t, as evidenced in the way they live. 

When we truly believe God, our lives reveal it; it’s undeniable, but if no one knows or sees, then we want to revisit what we truly believe.

As Hebrews 3:12 warns, “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”

If we’re saying we believe God, yet making decisions based on our own and others’ human reasoning, living how we see fit, our actions are revealing a heart that doesn’t believe God. 

When we believe Him, our lives reflect what our hearts truly believe. Proverbs 27:19 reveals, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”

Believing God shows in the ways we think, how we choose to live, and especially by the way we love others.

Jesus tells us in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Do you believe God so much so that it’s evident in your life? If not, ask God to help you believe Him, to believe the truth of His word, so that your life changes. 

Further Reading:

How Reading the Bible Keeps Us from Believing False Teaching