A recent Harris Poll revealed that more Americans believe in God (80%), angels (71%), hell (62%), and the devil (59%) than they do in Darwinian evolution (47%).

While that may seem reassuring, the real issue is not what people say they believe but whether they submit to the Bible’s authority and truly trust Jesus as Savior.

Only 55% of all adults surveyed said they believe the Old Testament is the Word of God, and 54% believe the same about the New Testament. Only about one-third of adults said they believe that all of these texts are the Word of God.

Furthermore, “creationism” was accepted by 40% of the overall respondents and only 54% of Protestants. Of course, this serves as a reminder that just because people say they believe in God, they do not necessarily believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God. Similarly, if someone believes in God and also believes in creation, it does not necessarily mean they are truly born-again Christians. Salvation comes through faith in Christ who died for our sins in order to reconcile us to God for eternity, not just faith in God’s or Christ’s existence or in some biblical truths. (“Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19.)

^* Harris Interactive, “More Americans Believe in the Devil, Hell, and Angels than in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution,” www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=982, December 10, 2008.