I've consulted dictionaries, but the use of the phrase "believes in" means (eg. believes in God, Jesus)?

Question

I have seen several posts with an interesting rhetorical strategy:

The poster will say that "the devil/Satan 'believes in' God"

Does this mean that he simply believes that God exists?

Or do they (Satan and his legions) truly believe IN God, just like theists believe IN God and Christians believe IN Jesus?

This is also used as a defense that belief IN God is not sufficient to gain entry into heaven: Satan believes IN God but cannot go to Heaven. So I am led to believe that Satan may believe IN God the same way that theists do.

Doesn't saying "believe in" imply more than just a "belief of" something? I'm not playing semantic games here; I really would like to know.

Is "believes in" then different than "having faith in"?

Answer 1

It is almost purely semantics.

Someone might say, "I believe in unicorns."

This definitely means "existence".

Christians say, "Even satan believes in God."

Same thing. This means that satan believes God exists. In fact, satan KNOWS God exists.

I'm a linguist and a stickler for semantics. If you're going to say something, you'd better know what your words mean.

If someone says to me, "I believe in God," then they might very well MEAN something much deeper than they've just said, but the fact remains that the LANGUAGE they use is insufficient to convey the depth of their meaning.

Compare communication to any skill, say playing chess. If one person who knows how the peices move plays against someone who has a thorough understanding of opening theory, pawn structure, tactics, strategy, and endgame theory, who is going to win? Obviously the person with more tools in his shed is better at the game. Same thing applies to football, art, music, surgery, plumbing, etc...

So, a person with a limited vocabulary will not always be able to communicate their thoughts as effectively as a person with a vast vocabulary and mastery of grammar.

"Belief in God" is not the same as "acceptance of Jesus"

Answer 2

We all were with God in the beginning before the earth was formed. Satan and his followers waged a war in heaven, as Satan wanted overthrow the kingdom of God and take the glory away from God saying that he would bring all the souls back to heaven by taking away our free agency if he could have God’s place as head person. So yes he believes in God and knows his power and mercy. When mortals are born there is a veil of forgetfulness of our previous existence that we enjoyed. This is so we can PROVE our faith in him and will do his will. Satan and his followers lost their chance to receive a body and will never receive one. Satan never lost his knowledge of God so cannot prove if he would have believed in him or not. We will choose to believe or not, there will be no gray area here and our status after this life depends on our actions here. Satan already made his choice of not wanting to follow God when he knew of his existents and goodness. He gets no second chance.

Answer 3

Satan believes in God because he has seen Him and knows His power, but you have rightly acknowledged a Truth...it is not enough to simply believe in the existence. All sin is accounted for us as debt and since we all sin; we are debtors and unworthy to approach God whether we believe or not in his existence. EVERYONE will eventually believe because they will all see. The only way to God is through Christ through the provision of the law which allows a relative (kinsman redeemer) to buy your debt back. Christ was God in the flesh and God is your nearest relative being the Father of your soul; so he has the right by the law to redeem the debt and pay it off. So you must believe; but that entails that you believe the whole volume of the BOOK and what is says for you to do and to follow it. Since we cannot perfectly do that, then we must put faith in Christ and trust Him by His good will to redeem us. So belief is much deeper than just believing in the existence, it is a measure by your motive and actions as they relate to the whole volume of the Bible. Anyone can say a thing, but you know a tree by its fruit.

Answer 4

It is a strategy, a gambit.

I try to plan my question, to limit ambiguity. It doesn't always work. I have a large problem, with folks who 'believe in', a 'literal' view of the Bible. The logic of a literal view is circular, and not meant to enlighten.

There is a wealth of allegory, in the creation myth. But the fundamentalist mindset is designed to redirect any real questions to a fruitless conversation. I'd rather talk to an atheist, than a functional illiterate with a literal view. (is that a paradox?)

For example; Did anti-deluvian man 'believe in' a moon-god, that shed light in a dark world? (The question changes, for those who understand that daylight, could not precede the creation of the sun) Fundi's don't even see the question, much less 'see' the question. Go figure...

Answer 5

I thought Christians believe ON God, and yes, Satan and others believe in, as in, they accept that he exists. But to believe on means to have your trust laying completely on God for all - life, breath, needs.

Answer 6

When people say they believe in God, they are saying, in short, that they believe he is in control, and exists in superiority, and that he cares for us, loves us...amongst many, many other wonderful things.

Some say that Satan believes in God, because, like you were saying...he knows God exists, for God is the one who put him in Hell. In James 2:20 it says "...the devils also believe, and tremble."