Where is your identity?

Most of us, as children, reflect the image  of our parents. The truth is, our spirits were made to reflect something, to become the image of something. As little babies and then children, our eyes watch what goes on around us. We learn to behave in certain ways, usually by watching those who are raising us. Our identity is in what our family name is, who our family is, what behavior they exhibit. Our inner image is based on the image of our parents. That’s why people can lose their way when their parents pass on. Who they are becomes a question mark in their hearts and minds. Identity is important. It defines a person. I remember the first time I ever saw my elderly grandfather very drunk. His weakness made me shake to the core. I was very dependent on him. He and my grandmother raised my brother and me, so my identity was built on who they were. It really upset me to see him in that state.

In Scripture, when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, we see a manifestation of the triune Godhead appearing….God the Father announced who Jesus was from Heaven. Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22  After that, Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. It’s interesting to note that two of the three temptations He went through included a questioning of His identity. Twice the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God….

As believers, we too are bombarded daily by questions about our identity, although maybe not so blatant as that. They will usually be more subtle. The enemy is always seeking to place doubt within us about who we are.

The Scriptures say we are now “in Christ.” We are seated with Him in heavenly places. Scriptures clearly tells us where our identity now is. Our identity is in Christ. We are dead to the world. We have become “new creations” and the old is passed away. It is one thing to know it in our heads; it is quite another to believe in our hearts. Believing in our hearts is where we need to be established. The book of Colossians in the New Testament says to “establish ourselves in the love of Christ.” That means we are to come to KNOW, without any doubt, the love of Christ. When the bills pile up and the money isn’t there, we still KNOW and believe in the love of Christ. That becomes the anchor of our soul. When we are sick, we still KNOW and believe the love of Christ. When people gossip about us and spread lies about us, we still KNOW that Jesus loves us and all things are working for our good, according to Romans 8:28.

If Jesus had doubted the Word He heard his Father say over Him at His baptism, He could have lost the battle with the devil in the wilderness. And there’s no doubt he could have entertained the temptation, first to turn stones into bread after fasting for 40 days. Let’s face it, the guy was hungry! What would you do????

Then the devil took him up to the top of the temple and quoted Scripture to Him. That is a dirty trick. We need to be on guard for this too. The devil told Him to throw Himself down, that the angels would catch Him. What a twist on the Word of God.

The third time, the devil didn’t even bother to say, “If You are the Son of God,” he just went direct and tempted Him with the lust to be worshipped. Each temptation was met with the Word of God, a Scripture that Jesus used to shut him up. That is how we are to fight our own battles, just like Jesus did, using the Word of God, which is truth. That is the path to victory.