It is generally assumed that when myself and other believers take a stand againt the pope and the lies of the Roman Catholic Church that we are Protestants. This is however not the case. Historically, Protestantism comes from denominations holding to the false teachings of the Reformation, while "claiming" to believe the word of God alone. The dictionary defines a Protestant as "a member of any of several church denominations denying the universal authority of the Pope and affirming the Reformation principles of justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, and the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth."
While a person who is saved will deny the universal authority of the pope, they will not affirm many of the false Reformation principles like "justification by faith alone." According to the word of God, faith alone is dead faith. True believers do not hold to a dead faith, rather they hold to the living faith of God that the saints show forth.
A true believer need not be a member of certain denominations, so that would rule them out from being a Protestant. As for "the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth," this is also not something the child of God believes. Certainly, it is our authority for matters of faith and conversation, but it is not the only source of revealed truth. A person can see the testimony of the creation for the plain truth of the reality of their Maker (see Psalms 19:1-3; Romans 1:20); etc. So, while the believer does hold to "sola scriptura" (Scripture alone) what the dictionary is suggesting is more along the lines of "solo scriptura" (only Scripture can teach truth).
So, I would like to make it clear that the historical definition of a Protestant does not fit myself or any true believers. Some of those Reformed and other denominations that call themselves Protestant are about as deep in sin and rebellion from the Lord and His holy word as the Roman Catholic Church. True believers hold to holiness in heart and life, and abstain from all appearance of evil.
