Belief And Demons

Omnis qui credit quoniam Jesus est Christus, ex Deo natus est. Et omnis qui diligit eum qui genuit, diligit et eum qui natus est ex eo. Nam et daemones credunt, et contremiscunt, sicut dicit Scriptura. Quid potuerunt plus credere daemones, quam ut dicerent: Scimus qui sis, Filius Dei? Quod dixerunt daemones, hoc dixit et Petrus. Cum Dominus quaereret quis esset, et quem illum dicerent homines, responderunt illi discipuli: Alii dicunt te Ioannem Baptistam, alii Eliam, alii Ieremiam, aut unum ex Prophetis. Et ille: Vos autem quem me esse dicitis? Respondit Petrus et ait: Tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi. Et audivit a Domino: Beatus es, Simon Bar Iona, quia non revelavit tibi caro et sanguis, sed Pater meus qui est in coelis. Videte quae laudes prosequantur hanc fidem: Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam. Quid est, super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam? Super hanc fidem, super id quod dictum est: Tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi. Super hanc petram, inquit, fundabo Ecclesiam meam. Magna laus! Ergo dicit Petrus. Tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi: dicunt et daemones: Scimus qui sis, Filius Dei, sanctus Dei. Hoc Petrus, hoc et daemones: eadem verba, non idem animus. Et unde constat quia hoc Petrus cum dilectione dicebat? Quia fides christiani cum dilectione est; daemonis autem sine dilectione. Quomodo sine dilectione? Hoc dicebat Petrus, ut Christum amplecteretur: hoc dicebam daemones, ut Christus ab eis recederet. Nam antequam dicerent: Scimus qui sis; tu es Filius Dei: Quid nobis et tibi est, dixerunt? Quid venisti ante tempus perdere nos? Aliud est ergo confiteri Christum, ut teneas Christum, aliud confiteri Christum, ut repellas a te Christum. Ergo videtis quia quomodo hic dicit: Qui credit, propria quaedam fides est; non quomodo cum multis. Itaque, fratres, nemo haereticorum dicat vobis: Et nos credimus. Ideo enim de daemonibus exemplum proposui, ne gaudeatis ad verba credentium, sed exploretis facta viventium. Videamus ergo quid est credere in Christum; quid, credere quia Iesus ipse est Christus. Sequitur: Omnis qui credit quod Iesus sit Christus, ex Deo natus est. Sed quid est credere illud? Et omnis qui diligit qui genuit eum, diligit eum qui genitus est ab ipso. Statim fidei coniunxit dilectionem; quia sine dilectione fides inanis est. Cum dilectione fides christiani, sine dilectione fides daemonis: qui autem non credunt, peiores sunt quam daemones, et tardiores quam daemones. Nescio quis non vult credere in Christum; adhuc nec daemones imitatur. Sanctus Augustinus Hippoensis, In Epistolam Iohannis Tractatus X Source: Migne PL 35.2054-2055

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And every one who loves Him who begot Him, also loves Him who is begotten of Him. 1 For 'even the demons believe and tremble,' 2 as Scripture says. How were the devils able to believe more than they should say, 'We know who you are, the Son of God?' What the demons said, Peter also said. When the Lord asked them who He was, and whom did men say He was, the disciples replied to Him, 'Some say that you are John the Baptist, some Elias, some Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.' And He: 'But who do you say I am?' And Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' 3 And he heard from the Lord: 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven.' See what praises follow this faith. 'You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.' What is: 'Upon this rock I will build my Church?' Upon this faith, upon this which has been said: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' 'Upon this rock,' He says, 'I will build my Church.' Great praise! So Peter says, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,' and the demons also say, 'We know who you are, the Son of God, the Holy One of God.' Peter said this, so did demons. The words are the same, but not the heart. And how is it clear that Peter said this with love? Because a Christian's faith has love, but a demon's is loveless. How is it loveless? Peter said this that he might embrace Christ, the demons said it that Christ might begone from them. For before they said, 'We know who you are, the Son of God,' they said, 'What have we to do with you? Why have you come to destroy us before the time?' 4 It is one thing to confess Christ so that you may embrace Christ, another thing to confess Christ that you may drive Christ from you. See, then, that in the sense he says here, 'Whoever believes,' it is a faith of one's own, not somehow with many. Therefore, brothers, let none of the heretics say to you, 'We also believe.' For I have given you an example from demons that you should not rejoice in the words of believing, but that you seek out the deeds of the living. Let us see, then, what it is to believe in Christ. He proceeds: 'Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.' But what is it to believe that? 'And every one that loves Him who begot Him, also loves Him who is begotten of Him.' To faith he has instantly joined love, because faith without love is worthless. With love it is the faith of the Christian; loveless it is the faith of a demon. But they who do not believe are worse than demons, and they are more stupid than devils. Some fellow will not believe Christ: he is not yet even an equal of demons. Saint Augustine Of Hippo, On The Epsitle of John, Tractate 10 1 1 Jn 5.1 2 Jam 2.19 3 Mt 16.13-18 4 Mt 8.29