My boss once asked me why my bumper sticker said "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ". I thought it was pretty self explanatory until he said that grammatically it should be "in" and not "on".
If you've ever witnessed to anyone before and prayed while doing so then you know that the Lord gives you what to say. I answered him that devils believe in Christ, we were to believe on His work of salvation at Calvary.
James 2:19- Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
I saw something recently that made me think of this interaction. Devils have faith. Devils not only believe in Christ, they know exactly who He is- the Son of God. There's no doubt there! But, devils aren't saved.
Mark 5:2-7- And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
The maniac of Gadara knew that Jesus Christ was the son of the Most High God. More than that, he came before Him and worshipped Him!
He asks Jesus if He is come to torment him before the time. Do you know what that means? It means that devils know there is a hell that they are destined for eternity to burn in. That's more than most people today know!
Another thing most people don't know about devils is that they ask God for things and it can be granted. That's prayer that is answered by God.
Mark 5:8-13- For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
Jesus Christ told the devil to leave this man. The devil asked that He would send it into the herd of pigs, and the Lord granted his request!
Did you know that devils know how people get saved?
Act 16:16-18- And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
The devil inside of this woman knew Paul and the message of salvation. She acknowledged who Paul served and his reason for being there.
Salvation isn't offered to devils. Why would she broadcast the reason for the messenger of Christ being there?
Note also that devils can tell true born again, blood bought Christians from the religious fakes.
Act 19:13-16- Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
These men thought that they could use the power of Christ without actually belonging to Him. The devil knew who Jesus was. The devil knew who Paul was. But these men didn't have God's protection against this devil and he knew it. They quickly found out!
I'm not certain what they difference is between devils and evil spirits. But the Bible tells us how to find out if someone is speaking to an evil spirit.
I John 4:1-3- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Devils can be tricky. Satan himself can quote Scripture. When speaking with Christ, Satan said "It is written" and then quoted the Bible. If Satan can quote the Word of the Lord, don't think that devils and fake Christians can't!
Most people don't realize that Satan can still access heaven. He was cast to the earth when he fell, but he wasn't banned from heaven. That's a future occurrence. In fact, he regularly attends meetings in heaven!
Job 1:6-7- Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
The difference is that devils will never confess and forsake their sins. Devils are very well informed, but they are not transformed like a true Christian believer. They won't be going around singing about the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that can save sinners from hell.
Are you truly a Christian? Have you called out to God for salvation through His Son and cleansed your soul in the blood He shed on Calvary? Or, like the devils, are you just spiritually enlightened?
