Demons Confess: “Jesus is Lord”

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:9-10

As Christians, we are told that all we have to do is “confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead”, and we will be saved. It says it right there, in the opening quote, written by Paul to the Romans.

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Why do we need to know any more than that one verse? I actually was told by a Baptist deacon that we don’t. We really do not have to study scripture or learn how we should live because we just need to confess Jesus is Lord to be saved. With this mentality we could reduce all of scripture to one index card. Is this true? Think of the trees that would be saved! What is the meaning of this word “confess” that is the supposed key to salvation?

From Webster’s online dictionary:

con·fess | \ kən-ˈfes \
confessed; confessing; confesses
Definition of confess
transitive verb
1 : to tell or make known (something, such as something wrong or damaging to oneself) : ADMIT
he confessed his guilt

The understanding is that we are making it known, or admitting that Jesus is Lord. Sounds like an easy way to be “saved”. “Jesus is Lord, whatever, let’s get on with life. I am saved now. Woohoo.” However, Paul didn’t write the word “confess”. Confess is the word English translators chose for a Greek word in a Greek manuscript of the letter Paul wrote. The Greek word is Strong’s G3670. First the Strong’s definition, then the Thayer definition.

G3670
ὁμολογέω
homologeō
hom-ol-og-eh’-o
From a compound of the base of G3674 and G3056; to assent, that is, covenant, acknowledge: – con- (pro-) fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise.

ὁμολογέω
homologeō
Thayer Definition:
1) to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent
2) to concede
2a) not to refuse, to promise
2b) not to deny
2b1) to confess
2b2) declare
2b3) to confess, i.e. to admit or declare one’s self guilty of what one is accused of
3) to profess
3a) to declare openly, speak out freely
3b) to profess one’s self the worshipper of one
4) to praise, celebrate

The Blue Letter Bible website has a little more on the word.

STRONGS NT 3670: ὁμολογέω
ὁμολογέω, ὁμολογῶ; imperfect ὡμολόγουν; future ὁμολογήσω; 1 aorist ὡμολόγησα; present passive 3 person singular ὁμολογεῖται; (from ὁμόλογος, and this from ὁμον and λέγω); from (Sophocles and) Herodotus down;

1. properly, to say the same thing as another, i. e. to agree with, assent, both absolutely and with a dative of the person; often so in Greek writings from Herodotus down; hence,
2. universally, to concede;

Sometimes Bible Lexicon’s, such as Strong’s and Thayer’s, inject their theological spin on the words they are translating, just as the Bible translators do. It is good practice to understand how words were used outside of 19th century theology, because the first century writers did not know 19th century theology, so they were using the word as it was used in their culture.

I recently acquired the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and came back to this blog post because their definition of the word used for “confess” validates my understanding of this Greek word “homologeo”. It is to confess sins and enter into a treaty or covenant with a deity. We confess our sins to Yeshua, agree with what He says, promise to uphold our end of the covenant and it is sealed with the bread and wine of communion and the waters of baptism.

Confess:

ὁμολογέω G3933 (homologeō), promise, confess, declare, praise; ἐξομολογέω G2018 (exomologeō), promise, confess, praise; ὁμολογία G3934 (homologia), confession.

CL homologeō (Soph. onwards) and homologia (Hdt. onwards) are compounds of homos, the same, similar, and legō, say, or logos, word, speech. Hence homologeō means to say the same, i.e. agree in one’s statements, and homologia means agreement, consent.
The legal connotation is dominant. A man agrees with another’s statement, concedes or confesses something (e.g. his guilt before a judge), agrees to something (e.g. another’s wish) and so promises. This agreement expresses itself in an act of commitment, promise, or confession in a court or legal contract.
The religious use of the words is probably derived primarily from their use in the language of treaties and the law-courts. The man who binds himself by an oath (homologeō) enters into a treaty relationship with the deity. This concept was then transferred from the solemn confession of wrong-doing before a court of law to the confession of sin to the deity. These concepts were used especially in the oriental cults, as may be seen from Lydian and Phrygian expiatory inscriptions. In modern Gk. the concept has come to mean sacramental confession to a priest: exomologeomai, I make my confession; exomologeō, I hear a confession.

D. Fürst, “Confess,” ed. Lothar Coenen, Erich Beyreuther, and Hans Bietenhard, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 344.

It is not to say “confess” is a bad translation if viewed in light of all of scripture; however, standing on its own, “confess” gives modern readers an inaccurate view of the verse.

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess [believe the same as, covenant] with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

One could make the argument that this verse shouldn’t even be translated “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord”. The Greek says Kurios Iesous, which is Master or Lord Yeshua or “Jesus” . The Modern King Jame’s Version, MKJV, seems to make this correction.

Rom 10:9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

This is starting to line up with the rest of scripture now that we have some deeper meanings and arrangement of words by different, professional translators.

Rom 10:9 Because if you confess [covenant, say the same thing as, agree with] the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

I am hoping that everyone can see the difference between being in covenant with Jesus and agreeing with everything He said, verses simply confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. James knew there was a difference between just knowing information and doing something about it.

Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Demons know God is one just as they know who Jesus is. They actually confessed that “Jesus is Lord” .

Luk 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
Luk 4:34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
Luk 4:35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

The demon here confessed Jesus is the Holy one of God. Does that mean this demon will be saved now? Do you even know where a demon comes from, or what it is? Of course, a demon cannot be saved.

2Pe 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.
2Pe 2:3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

These demons are the offspring spirits of angels and mortal beings. Their flesh was destroyed in Noah’s flood, but a percentage of them were allowed to exist on Earth. This is why they asked Jesus not to send them to the abyss.

Luk 8:27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.
Luk 8:28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
Luk 8:29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.)
Luk 8:30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him.
Luk 8:31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.

The books of Jubilees and Enoch explain the where, why and how of demons. The first century believers were well aware of the demonic realm around them because they read these books. Does anyone find it strange, that seemingly out of nowhere, Jesus is dealing with all these demons and unclean spirits with little explanation? They are unclean because they are offspring of an illegal union between angels and mortal beings. Nothing is explained about them because the writers assume the audience has the same common knowledge about them as they do from the writings they had access to.

AND in the third week of this jubilee the unclean devils began to lead astray the children of the sons of Noach, and to make to err and destroy them. And the sons of Noach came to Noach their father, and they told him concerning the devils which were leading astray and blinding and slaying his sons’ sons. And he prayed before Yahuah Elohayu, and said: Elohiym of the ruachoth [spirits] of all flesh, who has shown mercy unto me and has saved me and my sons from the waters of the flood, and has not caused me to perish as you did the sons of perdition; For your grace has been great towards me, and great has been your mercy to my soul; Let your grace be lift up upon my sons, and let not wicked ruachoth rule over them lest they should destroy them from the earth. But do you bless me and my sons, that we may increase and multiply and replenish the earth. And you know how your Watchers, the fathers of these ruachoth, acted in my day: and as for these ruachoth which are living, imprison them and hold them fast in the place of condemnation, and let them not bring destruction on the sons of your servant, my Elohiym; for these are malignant, and created in order to destroy. And let them not rule over the ruachoth of the living; for you alone can exercise dominion over them. And let them not have power over the sons of the righteous from henceforth and forevermore. YOVHELIYM (JUBILEES) 10:1-6 את CEPHER

As we continue reading in the book of Jubilees we see Yahweh allowed a tenth of them to stay on the Earth.

And Yahuah Elohaynu bade us to bind all. And the chief of the ruachoth [spirits], Mastema, came and said: Yahuah, Creator, let some of them remain before me, and let them hearken to my voice, and do all that I shall say unto them; for if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to execute the power of my will on the sons of men; for these are for corruption and leading astray before my judgment, for great is the wickedness of the sons of men. And he said: Let the tenth part of them remain before him, and let nine parts descend into the place of condemnation. And one of us he commanded that we should teach Noach all their medicines; for he knew that they would not walk in uprightness, nor strive in righteousness. And we did according to all his words: all the malignant evil ones we bound in the place of condemnation and a tenth part of them we left that they might be subject before Satan on the earth. And we explained to Noach all the medicines of their diseases, together with their seductions, how he might heal them with herbs of the earth. YOVHELIYM (JUBILEES) 10:7-12 את CEPHER

Does reading this make the stories of demons and unclean spirits spoken about in scripture much easier to understand? Why are we discouraged from reading the book of Jubilees found in the caves of Qumran alongside the oldest copies of Genesis and Enoch that we have?

Yahweh left a tenth of these spirits to see who will not be lead astray. They tempt and torment, but those who confess [agree with, covenant with] Lord Jesus [Master Yeshua] will not be drawn into the subversion of these devils. The demons confess Jesus is Lord, who can put them in the abyss, but we covenant and agree with Jesus. There is a huge difference.

Deu 13:1 “If a prophet stands up in your midst or a dreamer of dreams and he gives to you a sign or wonder,
Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes about that he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (those whom you have not known), and let us serve them,’
Deu 13:3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer, for Yahweh your God is testing you to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your inner self.
Deu 13:4 You shall go after Yahweh your God, and him you shall revere, and his commandment you shall keep, and to his voice you shall listen, and him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast.

The demons are there just as the false prophets. They test us, for the Creator, Yahweh, to see if we will listen to them instead of Yahweh. They lead us astray from Yahweh’s instruction such as Sabbaths, idolatry, sexual immorality and unclean animals, causing us to become ill with sin and disease. They lead us into celebrating false holidays honouring false gods. “Yahweh your God is testing you to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your inner self.”

Agreeing or being in covenant with Lord Jesus, Master Yeshua, the proper translation of Romans 10:9, is to do what Deuteronomy 13:4 tells us to do.

Deu 13:4 You shall go after Yahweh your God, and him you shall revere, and his commandment you shall keep, and to his voice you shall listen, and him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast.

Jesus told us the following is the greatest commandment.

Mar 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Mar 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

To confess Jesus and believe God raised him from the dead is to follow the same commandments Jesus followed, which were given in the law, prophets and writings. Please stop listening to the false prophets and demons, study your Bibles for yourselves and learn these matters.

Featured image by Mahdi Bafande on Unsplash.