The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
—John 10:10 (NLT)
“And through it all, through it all,” we sang in church on Sunday morning, “my eyes are on You. And through it all, through it all, it is well. And through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You. And it is well with me” (© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Bethel Music Publishing).
Is it well with you? No matter what happens are you filled with His peace which goes beyond human understanding? Or has the enemy attempted to convince you that you no longer belong to Jesus Christ—that you are forever separated from His love? The enemy is the thief that longs to steal and kill and destroy the assurance of your identity in Christ. His purpose is to convince you that you have no hope. If you have a perfectionist mentality, he doesn’t have to try very hard. You find it is easy to condemn yourself. You are used to not being good enough.
Jesus doesn't see you the same way you see yourself. He sees you through His finished work on the Cross. Jesus sees you pure. He sees you healed and whole. He sees you sinless. You belong to Him. You have His identity. The thief will always try to steal your assurance that Jesus has saved you. As Smith Wigglesworth once said, “The devil is a liar. If he says you are not saved, it is a sure sign that you are.”
How do you stand against the enemy that lies about your identity and steals your peace and joy? You stand strong when you know who you are in Jesus. When you grab hold of the miracle of the cross in your spirit, you begin to live the power of Jesus’ resurrected life. His righteousness, which was born in your spirit when you accepted Him by faith, transforms the way you think. It changes your attitudes and your perception. When you have a spiritual understanding of His grace, you “put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:24, NLT). When you have claimed this new nature as your own, you know who you are. Satan cannot plant stupid lies in your head. He is defeated by the power of Jesus’ grace flowing in your life. His love on Calvary changed everything. His grace abounds. It covers all your failures—your need to be perfect. Only Jesus was perfect, and the grace of His perfect sacrifice has set you free.
God’s purpose is to give you a rich and satisying life. That life is defined by His peace and His joy instead of the enemy's lies of guilt, shame, and fear of punishment. Jesus has redeemed you. He paid for your sin. He took your punishment. He took your fears, guilt, and shame to the cross. You are forgiven. Allow the Holy Spirit to encourage you with His blessed assurance. Quit trying so hard to be perfect or “good enough” when your precious Savior has already saved you. There is nothing you have to “do, do, do” to be accepted. You don’t have to earn His love. Just “be” who He says you are. Get to know the “real” you in Jesus.
Why would you ever let the enemy mess with your head until your promise of a spiritually satisfying life in Jesus is destroyed? Your identity is not stolen. Satan can only make you believe it is stolen if you allow it. Put on Jesus’ nature. Put on the mind of Christ, and be transformed in your perception and understanding. You will then discern what the enemy tells you for what it is—an attempt to separate you from the assurance of God’s love. God sees you through the finished work of His Son on the cross for your sins. What you call ugly, He sees as righteous. If you allow His mind to transform yours, you can stand firm and rebuke the lies of the enemy. All the power of heaven is yours. The reassuring peace of the Holy Spirit will reign in your life no matter what happens. The lies of the enemy will become like distant thunder.
Are you tired? Nothing you have tried has worked? Are you hungry for peace and joy? Where can you begin to learn your identity in Jesus? You might start with 2 Corinthians 5:21.
© 2019 Lynn Lacher
www.lynnlacher.com/2019/04/the-stolen-identity-lie.html
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