Preventing Identity Theft

In this day and age, we are all aware of the problems and stresses that occur when our identity gets stolen and our information is used to benefit someone else at our unauthorized expense!

However, today I see that many Christians are victims of a different kind of identity theft.  Around the world Christians don't realize that someone has taken their true identity and left them with a lot of negative consequences, and they simply carry on living like that.

John 10:10 says
The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.   

Satan has been the original identity thief since the Garden of Eden!   When the serpent appeared to Eve and suggested that she really could eat the fruit, he said “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” (Gen 3:5)

He challenged her identity, but in chapter 1:26, God said he was going to make man in his image! Eve was already like God, but satan tricked her out of her true identity, making her believe she was less than God had made her to be.  This is what he is doing even today!

In the Gospels, we read the accounts of Jesus going into the wilderness and the devil tempting him.  The first temptation begins with satan saying

Luke 4:3
"...If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread."

Again, Satan challenged his Identity. 'Are you really who you think you are???" And Jesus showed us exactly how we prevent identity theft!! Every time he was challenged he said "IT IS WRITTEN" and he went back to the Word!

NOTHING has changed for us. Jesus perfectly modelled what it meant to be a human, filled filled with the Holy Spirit!    We MUST draw our true identity from what God says about us!   

When satan says that we are not worthy or unqualified, we say IT IS WRITTEN 
"...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light..." (Colossians 1:12)

When we hear that voice saying "You are sick", we respond with IT IS WRITTEN "By his stripes I am healed" . (1 Peter 2:24)

Whatever the lie that attacks who we truly are, we need to be active in guarding our identity.

In the natural world if we felt that our identity was under threat, we would do everything we could to protect ourselves; change passwords, change credit cards etc - Whatever it takes to keep our identity safe.  When it comes to spiritual things, we need to take it as seriously.  We need to know what IS WRITTEN.  If we don't know what the truth is, then when someone tries to tell us a lie about who we are, we will unwittingly allow them to take away our true identity and leave us a victim living below the 'abundant life' that Jesus promised at the end of the verse I started with!  (John 10:10)

Protect your identity by knowing who you really are (knowing the word). Don't let anyone, but God tell you who are you, that way, you'll never be the victim of spiritual identity theft!

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