You use this phrase as if its scripture, the key word "trust" is not even in the verses you use as proof text. If trust alone is truly the only "means to our salvation" why is there not a verse that states such an important point?
There are several verses that state such an important point. What do you think it means to
believe in/place faith in Christ for salvation? It involves
TRUST and
not merely "mental assent" belief. This remains your stumbling block.
The word translated faith is found in the Greek lexicon of the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and is defined as follows: #4102; pistis; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher),
*especially reliance upon Christ for salvation*; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
The word translated believe is from the greek word pisteuō #4100 which means: to believe, entrust, "to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to *
entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ).* Short Definition: I believe, have faith in, *
trust in;* pass: I am entrusted with.
The word "believe" can describe mere mental assent belief, as in James 2:19, or also include "trust and reliance" in Christ for salvation, as in Acts 16:31. In James 2:19, nobody is questioning the fact that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they
do not believe/trust in/entrust their spiritual well being to Christ; have faith/reliance upon Christ for salvation.
Their trust and reliance is in Satan, as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works. Saving belief/faith is more than just an "intellectual acknowledgment" to the existence and historical facts about Christ.
Saving belief/faith trusts exclusively in Christ's finished work of redemption as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16; 3:24-26).