Identity Theft

by Anne Richardson

 

Nothing is ever the same after you've been in the presence of God.

Nothing.

There is always change. Always revelation. Always a deeper sense of who He is.

While praying with someone in the altar, God quickened a Scripture to my mind that stayed with me and continued to weigh heavily in my thoughts. The verses are found in Luke 22 -where Jesus is talking to Peter:

"Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren." [verses 31& 32]

Satan desires to ‘sift’ all believers. His goal has always been to diminish the power of the church. He never targets us corporately, but as individuals. Like a roaring lion, he goes about seeking to devour our identity as the people of God. A bite here-a bite there....until we no longer resemble the real thing anymore.

The devil is a thieving liar.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and destroy.” [John 10:10]

Like the human thief who creeps into our homes through the doors or windows we've failed to secure-the enemy slips undetected into our lives through the unguarded, weak areas of our life. We all have them. They vary from person to person. Our fleshly weaknesses become identifiable to him by our outward behavior and our speech. Satan is the original psychological profiler. He and his fallen cohorts zero in on our anger, our jealousy, our pride, our lust, our love of money-whatever our weakness may be. They see what we watch and read. They hear what we talk about. They monitor our reactions and .then move in for the kill.

Their mission? To make us identify with our weaknesses more than with the One whose strength is made perfect in those weaknesses.

It is the most insidious form of identity theft.

The greatest need of this hour is to know Him and to know our true identity- who we are in Him.

We ARE the people of God… in spite of our weaknesses and failures.

What is the enemy telling you? Are his suggestions causing you to identify with some failure in your life? Some struggle you haven’t claimed victory for yet?

I want to remind you that “no temptation has overtaken us except such as is common to man.” Some believer, somewhere has walked a mile in your shoes. But even more importantly-Jesus was tempted in all points-just as we are: with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

Jesus knows. Jesus understands.

His wilderness experience with the father of lies was an example to all believers. It lets us know-first, that ALL temptations are LIES and secondly, that the only effective response is the Word of God-the TRUTH! Temptations aimed at our weak human flesh are unavoidably the experience of every believer. No one is exempt. Have you fallen in ways you thought you never would? Does the enemy have you believing you ARE your failure?

He’s a LIAR!!

You ARE a child of God.

I remind you again, “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man……

BUT GOD!!! BUT GOD!!

…….is FAITHFUL, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” [1 Corinthians 10:13]

I believe the way of escape in any temptation is by faith. Jesus did not pray that Peter would escape the sifting- but that his faith would not fail-even when Peter did. In every trial-our faith is always the key to victory. Our faith is based upon and rooted in the precious and powerful Word of God…the truth! The Bible says in Ephesians that above all other spiritual weapons we must lift up our shield of faith because it will quench ALL the fiery darts of the enemy! Every dart…every lie… is effectively extinguished by the truth!!! We shall know the truth and the truth shall…what? It SHALL make us free! No lie that the enemy tries to make us believe can govern our thoughts IF we will choose to believe God and let His Word be true no matter what.

God’s mercy endures forever. Our failures are not our finish. They are spiritual building blocks compelling us to step higher and reach with greater fervency for Him!

Whatever you may be facing….remember…..

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.”   [1 John 5:4]

 

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