Does someone automatically believe?

Someone does not automatically believe/put faith in something or someone. Whether someone may "BELIEVE the falsehood" (2 Thessalonians 2:11) or may be one "HAVING-BELIEVED (in) the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:12), one does not believe automatically. 

Someone IS ABLE TO believe or not believe something. 

Jesus said: "BE-BELIEVING in the good-news" (Mark 1:15). The Greek verb in "BE-BELIEVING" (Mark 1:15) is in the imperative mood, which expresses a command to the hearer to perform something by the order and authority of the one commanding. This can imply that the hearer can obey that. 

Jesus said: "if someone says (to) you, ‘Behold — here (is) the Christ’, ‘Behold — there (He is)’, DO NOT BE-BELIEVING (IT)." (Mark 13:21). The Greek verb in "DO NOT BE-BELIEVING (IT)." (Mark 13:21) is in the imperative mood, which expresses a command to the hearer to perform something by the order and authority of the one commanding. This can imply that the hearer can obey that. 

Jesus said: "IF I-am not doing the works (of) My Father, DO NOT BE-BELIEVING ME. But IF I-am-doing (them) — even-if you-do not believe Me, BE-BELIEVING the works" (John 10:37-38). This sentence implies that BELIEVING can be conditional, and that condition would lie within what the people choose to. 

There can be REASONS for someone to believe or not believe something. 

It is written for example: "FOR WHAT REASON did-you not BELIEVE him?" (Matthew 21:25).

Jesus asked: "If I-am-speaking truth, FOR WHAT REASON are you not BELIEVING Me?" (John 8:46).

Paul asked: "WHY is-it-being-judged NOT-BELIEVABLE among you (people) if God raises (the) dead?" (Acts 26:8).

Some reasons can be given for why people BELIEVE something:

Jesus said: "DO-YOU-BELIEVE BECAUSE I-said (to) you that I-saw you under the fig-tree? You-will-see greater (things than) these!" (John 1:50). 

It is written about Jesus that "many more BELIEVED BECAUSE-OF His word" (John 4:41).

If we have reasons for what we believe, it could follow that we may have had evidence for those reasons to conclude they could be justified.

REASONS can be given for someone to believe or not believe something. 

Jesus said and did things to give reasons for people to believe.

For example, before raising Lazarus from the dead, "Jesus lifted (His) eyes upward, and said, “Father, I-thank You that YOU-HEARD ME. Now I knew that You always hear Me. But I-SAID (THIS) FOR-THE-SAKE-OF the crowd having-stood-around — IN-ORDER-THAT THEY-MAY-BELIEVE that You sent Me forth”. And having-said these (things), He-shouted (with a) loud voice, “Lazarus, come outside!”" (John 11:41-43). People would have seen that the Father heard His prayer as Lazarus was then raised from the dead, showing that Jesus was also truly sent from the Father as He said. It is written 2 verses later that therefore many "HAVING-SEEN (the things) which He-did, BELIEVED in Him" (John 11:45).

Jesus also for example said: "From now (on), I-AM-TELLING YOU AHEAD (of it) taking-place, IN-ORDER-THAT when it-takes-place YOU-MAY-BELIEVE that I am (the One)" (John 13:19). Jesus here gave reasons so that people may believe that He is the One, by telling ahead of time things so that when they happen His audience may BELIEVE that He is the One. 

The disciples of Jesus were also seeking to give reasons for people to believe things. For example, when a disciple described what he saw when Jesus was crucified, it was written: "one (of) the soldiers pierced His side (with a) spear, and immediately blood and water came-out. And the (one) HAVING-SEEN (it) has-testified, and his testimony is true. And that (one) KNOWS that He-IS-SPEAKING TRUE (THINGS), SO-THAT YOU also MAY-BELIEVE" (John 19:34-35).

Because someone can believe or not believe, and also someone can be given reasons to believe something in particular, it is possible to labor for people to "BE-PERSUADED by the truth" (Galatians 5:7) so that they might end up believing in it. 

For example Paul did so when he was "PERSUADING them concerning Jesus from both the Law (of) Moses and the Prophets. And some WERE-BEING-PERSUADED (by) the (things) being-said, but others WERE-NOT-BELIEVING" (Acts 28:23-24). 

As seen in this verse, some WERE PERSUADED and others WERE NOT BELIEVING. This is because there are also other things that can be taken into account for someone to come to believe in something. 

Someone cannot believe in something that they never have come to think or even heard about. 

Paul wrote: "how MAY-THEY-BELIEVE (the One) Whom they-did not hear?" (Romans 10:14). This is why for example God is sending people to proclaim so that people can hear about Him. In that sense, God GRANTS the BELIEVING: "(to) you WAS-GRANTED the (thing) for Christ’s sake — not only the BELIEVING in Him, but also the suffering for His sake" (Philippians 1:29). 

Now God can grant faith to everyone, and yet people can still reject it or believe it, as for example Paul proclaimed about God and Jesus "Whom He-designated, HAVING-GRANTED (a) FAITH (TO) EVERYONE — HAVING-RAISED HIM up from (the) dead”. Now having-heard (of a) resurrection (from the) dead, SOME WERE-SCOFFING, but others said, “We-will indeed again hear you concerning this”. So Paul went-out of their midst. And SOME men having-joined him BELIEVED" (Acts 17:31-34). Even though FAITH was GIVEN to everyone, yet only SOME received it so as to end up BELIEVING. SOME others scoffed at it and others said that they will again hear Paul concerning this later. 

The Greek word for "FAITH" (pistis 4102 in Greek, Acts 17:31) that was GRANTED here can be translated as FAITH/BELIEF. 

Someone cannot believe if they do not understand what to believe. 

For example it is written: "these words APPEARED IN THEIR SIGHT AS-IF NONSENSE, and THEY-WERE-NOT-BELIEVING them" (Luke 24:11).

Jesus said: "Anyone hearing the word (of) the kingdom and NOT UNDERSTANDING (IT) — the evil (one) comes and snatches-away the (thing) having-been-sown in his heart" (Matthew 13:19). Jesus added in the parallel account in Luke that such a person did not come to BELIEVE, as He said: "the devil comes and takes-away the word from their heart in-order-that they-may not be-saved, HAVING-BELIEVED" (Luke 8:12).

Someone may not believe something if a prior necessary belief may not be believed first. 

Some beliefs are built upon others. If the more fundamental beliefs are not believed, someone cannot believe other things upon them. 

Jesus for example said: "even-if you-do not BELIEVE Me, BE-BELIEVING THE WORKS, in-order-that you-may-come-to-know and BE-UNDERSTANDING that the Father (is) in Me, and I in the Father" (John 10:38). Even if they were not yet BELIEVING in Him, Jesus said that these people could start by BELIEVING in a more fundamental belief: that His works were of God. If so, they could then come to UNDERSTAND that the Father is in Him, which could lead them to end up BELIEVING in Him. 

Jesus also implied for example that some beliefs can be easier to believe than others, as He said: "If I-told you (people) EARTHLY (things) and you do NOT BELIEVE, how WILL-YOU-BELIEVE if I-tell you HEAVENLY (things)?" (John 3:12). Here Jesus appears to imply that to BELIEVE in EARTHLY things is easier than to BELIEVE in HEAVENLY things.

Doubts in the heart can affect what someone believes.

Jesus talked about one who "does NOT DOUBT in his HEART, BUT IS-BELIEVING" (Mark 11:23). Jesus contrasted here one DOUBTING in his heart with one BELIEVING, implying that doubts in the heart can affect what someone believes. 

Paul wrote that "IT-IS-BELIEVED (with the) HEART" (Romans 10:10), and so instead DOUBTS in the HEART could affect that. This is why Paul also wrote 4 chapters later for example: "the (one) DOUBTING has-been-condemned if he-eats, because (it was) NOT FROM FAITH" (Romans 14:23). James also contrasted both, writing: "let him be-asking IN FAITH, NOT DOUBTING at all" (James 1:6).

There could be a REASON for doubts to come up in one's hearts, as it is written: "FOR WHAT REASON are DOUBTS coming-up in your HEART?" (Luke 24:38). In order to believe, one can address the reasons for the doubts coming up in their heart. 

After John the Baptist was arrested, he needed reassurance from Jesus, and so "having-sent through his disciples, said (to) Him, “Are You the (One) coming, or should-we-be-looking-for (a) different (one)?” And having-responded, Jesus said to-them, “Having-gone, report (to) John (the things) which you-are-hearing and seeing — blind (ones) are-seeing-again and lame (ones) are-walking" (Matthew 11:2-5). Jesus reassured John the Baptist by giving him REASONS for why He was indeed the Christ to come, as He was doing the works prophesied of the Christ who was to come, which the disciples of John would have been hearing and seeing also. John the Baptist probably found there an answer that was giving him reassurance. 

Being troubled in the heart may affect someone's beliefs. 

Jesus said: "Do NOT let your HEART BE-TROUBLED. BE-BELIEVING in God" (John 14:1). 

Paul wrote that "IT-IS-BELIEVED (with the) HEART" (Romans 10:10), and so instead BEING TROUBLED in the HEART could affect that. 

Fearing may affect someone's beliefs. 

Jesus said: "Do NOT BE-FEARING, only BE-BELIEVING" (Mark 5:36). 

Not every kind of FEAR would affect BELIEVING in a bad way, as for example fearing YHWH would not affect believing in YHWH: "the people FEARED YHWH, AND they BELIEVED in YWHW". 

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