Faith then IS NOT the same as human belief. Faith is always God's work and gift into the believer:
"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3 NKJV)
And how much faith do we need? – according to Jesus: the size of a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6) Because it is the object of our faith that has the power – God Himself seen in the power of the Gospel. Faith is not in faith, not in yourself. "I have faith I can do this…" This is not "self-talk" or the power of positive thinking.
There is a lot of confusion about this "self-faith" that leads some to mistake faith as their "weapon" to wield supernatural power . . . [for self-serving ends.] (Can you say: "Name it and claim it?")
Listen to what Paul says:
"Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, (12) that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NKJV)
Faith is a gift from God that is used for God's glory with power.
Faith is related to (yet distinct from believing (4100/pisteúō). Faith (a Greek noun) refers to "God's persuasion birthed in the believer." Believing (a Greek verb) relates to the human choice to have confidence (affirm, trust) in what God says.
Faith is not exactly the same as believing, and believing is not exactly the same as faith.
["Faith is from God" is distinct from human belief and confidence, though they overlap in meaning.]
Demons believe (and shudder) ... but they do not have (experience) faith! And the demons are destined to hell.
"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!" (James 2:19 NKJV)
I always believed that there was a God – out there, somewhere. I just didn't know how to get there. I grew up going to church: heard Bible stories, on the same level as Grimm's fairytales. But then the Lord, at the age of twenty, in His providence, brought me to a family that believed and had faith in God. (I was to tutor of a ten-year-old in math to get three college credits.) They were showing faithfulness to their God. After three months of tutoring and getting to know this family – I went to their church two weeks before entering the Navy. There I heard the Gospel for the first time (Jesus died on a Cross for my sins, was buried, and rose from the grave on the third day) – the Lord replaced that heart of stone with a heart of flesh, and I believed that Jesus died for my sins and wanted to be in my life. That morning – I prayed, "God, I quit – come in and take over."
Faith (4102/pístis) is always received from God (never generated by people). Faith is always a response to a divine revelation.
"Faith . . . both in its initiation and every step of the way, is Spirit given . . . faith is God-given" We walk by faith and not by sight.