Satan is a carnal Christian

There's a certain odor that has been making its rounds in my general vicinity lately. Namely the preposterous idea that someone can be a Christian, and yet keep living in sin. That if you just have confessed faith in Christ with your mouth you are saved, no matter how your life looks. This couldn't possibly be further from biblical truth. Yes, the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom 10:9) But let's be a bit more exact when we define our terms here. Nowhere does the Bible allow us a definition of faith that does not express itself in righteous living.

Even in the very next verse we find that this faith in the heart must be one resulting in righteousness. We learn in the book of James that faith not resulting in works is dead. (Jms 2:17) Then in verse 19 he really beats the final nail into the coffin of said dead faith:

You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

There's not a demon in all of Hell that doesn't believe in God. Even Satan believes in God. Yet they live in disobedience against him. So anyone who expresses belief in God, and yet disobey him are actually placing themselves in the same category as the devil and his angels. Yet with one significant difference:

At least the demons have the fear of God to shudder at the thought of their rebellion against his holy throne.