“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” Matthew 4:1-11 ESV
I was reading in my quiet time the other day about Jesus and the time He spent in the desert, specifically about His temptation during this time. The strategy employed by our enemy with Jesus struck out at me as I read. The enemy said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God." He went right after Jesus identity immediately. He was attempting to cast doubts in Jesus mind about who He was and to who He belonged. And the enemy's tactics are no different with us. He will go straight at your identity and attack it if we don't have a good hold on who we are and to who we truly belong. If we aren't strong in who we are we will be vulnerable to the lies of the enemy.
When you don't know who you are, you walk through life constantly hoping that you are on the right track. You constantly have a feeling as if there is something missing in your life. When you know who you are and who it is that you truly belong to, the path that you are on in life loses some of its mystery and we can know better what to do and what not to do. Anyone who doesn't have a firm hold on who they are and the values for which they stand will fall victim to the lies of our enemy. Whether it is the lie of companionship for the sake of their most intimate parts of their lives or a business person willing to sacrifice their integrity to get ahead in their profession. Even people who follow Christ can get stuck in secret sin when victory is within their grasp.
So many of us live our lives trying to please others and find acceptance. Every one is seeking some sort of validation about who they are what they are doing. What we are really searching for is our identity and the confidence that comes from knowing who we are. The sad thing is that most are searching for it in all the wrong places. When we are insecure about who we are and don't really know who we belong to then it makes us vulnerable to the lies and schemes of our enemy.
It is no wonder the enemy wants to lie to us about who we are. Everything we do flows from our identity. But it is not found in the things we accomplish or the things we fail at. It isn't found in people, not even our spouses or children. It even isn't found in the thoughts we have about ourselves. The true source of our power is found in Him. It is found in the unchanging, all powerful, creator of the world and our souls. He already knows everything about me. He knows everything about you too. And He still loves us! Even in spite of all the worts, scars, secret sins, fears, worries, and negative thoughts God still accepts us for who we are.
The very thing that you are searching for in others, we will find in Him. God never changes. It is part of what makes Him who He is. Our identity is on the firmest of foundations as long as we stay connected to Him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” John 15:1-17 ESV
I was reading in my quiet time the other day about Jesus and the time He spent in the desert, specifically about His temptation during this time. The strategy employed by our enemy with Jesus struck out at me as I read. The enemy said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God." He went right after Jesus identity immediately. He was attempting to cast doubts in Jesus mind about who He was and to who He belonged. And the enemy's tactics are no different with us. He will go straight at your identity and attack it if we don't have a good hold on who we are and to who we truly belong. If we aren't strong in who we are we will be vulnerable to the lies of the enemy.
When you don't know who you are, you walk through life constantly hoping that you are on the right track. You constantly have a feeling as if there is something missing in your life. When you know who you are and who it is that you truly belong to, the path that you are on in life loses some of its mystery and we can know better what to do and what not to do. Anyone who doesn't have a firm hold on who they are and the values for which they stand will fall victim to the lies of our enemy. Whether it is the lie of companionship for the sake of their most intimate parts of their lives or a business person willing to sacrifice their integrity to get ahead in their profession. Even people who follow Christ can get stuck in secret sin when victory is within their grasp.
So many of us live our lives trying to please others and find acceptance. Every one is seeking some sort of validation about who they are what they are doing. What we are really searching for is our identity and the confidence that comes from knowing who we are. The sad thing is that most are searching for it in all the wrong places. When we are insecure about who we are and don't really know who we belong to then it makes us vulnerable to the lies and schemes of our enemy.
It is no wonder the enemy wants to lie to us about who we are. Everything we do flows from our identity. But it is not found in the things we accomplish or the things we fail at. It isn't found in people, not even our spouses or children. It even isn't found in the thoughts we have about ourselves. The true source of our power is found in Him. It is found in the unchanging, all powerful, creator of the world and our souls. He already knows everything about me. He knows everything about you too. And He still loves us! Even in spite of all the worts, scars, secret sins, fears, worries, and negative thoughts God still accepts us for who we are.
The very thing that you are searching for in others, we will find in Him. God never changes. It is part of what makes Him who He is. Our identity is on the firmest of foundations as long as we stay connected to Him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” John 15:1-17 ESV
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