Knowing Who I Am In Christ
We have an enemy.
He goes by many names; Lucifer, Satan, The Devil, The Father of Lies…
He has authority in the earth.
His objective is to kill, steal, and destroy.
The good news is the devil has been defeated, his authority is limited, and God has given us the strength, protection, and weapons we need to stand against the enemy.
If you want to go deeper, check out the sermon series called “Not Today Satan.”
Not only has God given us the strength we need, armor for protection, and the Sword of the Spirit as a weapon, the scripture actually gives us some “recon” on the enemy. If we know his schemes, we can recognize his activity, and take a stand against them (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Because the Devil has been defeated by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:14-16), the Devil often gains power in our lives through deception and permission.
If the Devil can get us to believe his lies and take action on them, he gains some ground in our lives. Think about what Jesus says in John 8:31-32:
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Knowing, Believing, and Abiding in God’s truth = Freedom
Knowing, Believing, and Abiding in the Devil’s lies = Slavery
One of the Devil’s strategies for our lives is to Accuse us and Condemn us. Satan will try to haunt you with things Jesus has forgiven you for. Satan will always tell you the truth about yourself but lies to you about the Love, Grace, Salvation, and Victory you have in Christ!
My guess is you know what I am talking about, have had these thoughts before. They go something like this:
You know what you did….
How could God love someone like you….
You are a fraud, if only people knew…..
So what do we do when the accusations, condemnation, and negative thoughts come.
Recognize what is happening. This is not the voice of God; this is the voice of the enemy! It’s time for war!
Colossians 2:13-15- And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[a] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Preach the scriptures out loud to yourself and to the devil. Remember, the Holy Scriptures are referred to as a sword.
Hebrews 4:12- For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Below is a great resource from Freedom in Christ Ministries. I keep one of these printed out in my journal. I also keep a copy on my computer. Whenever the accusations, condemnation, and negative thoughts come I pull this out and preach it to myself and to the devil. The habit of declaring scripture to our own hearts, minds, and souls is good medicine, and the Devil hates it!
I would encourage you to print this out or save it somewhere that easy to access. The next time the devil tries to lie to you about your Identity In Christ. Preach the truth to yourself, and to your enemy!
