Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 2:19

"Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder." — James 2:19 (ASV)

The second argument offered in support of the proposition stated in v.17 concerns the nature of saving faith. All faithful Jews believed the creed known as the Shema found in Dt 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” James commends his Jewish Christian readers for believing “that there is one God.” This is “good!” But such acceptance of a creed is not enough to save a person. To prove his point, James declares that “even demons believe” the Shema. They know that there is but one God, and as a result they “shudder” (GK 5857) from fear. That the demons are afraid of God is evidence that their belief is a thorough conviction. However, their response is also evidence that their faith is not saving faith. Their belief has not brought them peace with God. Saving faith, then, is not mere intellectual acceptance of a theological proposition. It goes much deeper, involving one’s whole inner being and expressing itself outwardly in a changed life.