James says faith alone is dead and cannot save anyone.
James says that even the demons believe God is One, and then they do something---they tremble!
Boy is that one fool bit of logic "they do something - they tremble."
And never mind that James is following the Law, as the Israel of God was supposed to, given its identification of them as a peculiar people:
Deuteronomy 4:
5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
"And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:" Acts 21:20.
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." James 1:1.
When it is so cold outside that you tremble - are you doing something by an act of your will, or is it just your body reacting to the cold on its own.
When you almost get struck by some object, like an automobile - do you tremble by an act of your will, or does your body simply respond on its own in response to the threat of great pain.
You are one confused Energizer Bunny; you just keep going, and going, and going... down your confused path.
Works - an act of our will - are unacceptable because they are an act of our will.
"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Rom. 4:2,3.
"So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth; but of God, that showeth mercy." Rom. 9:16.
Yeah, yeah, I know; your ignorance will now jump up out of you to assert "that is ceremonial works."
You are that confused - devils do something. What ceremonial works is that.
You are... confused.
Work away, Energizer Bunny...