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“If thou be the Son of God…” Matthew 4:3

“If thou be the Son of God…” Matthew 4:6

Please notice in the above verses that the very first thing that satan did to the Lord was to question His identity.  He knew that Jesus was the Christ, he knew that Jesus was the Lord, and he knew that Jesus was the Son of the living God.  Further proof of this can be found in Matthew 8:29.

You see, satan didn’t question whether He was the Son of God; he just wanted Jesus to question it Himself.  For he knew that if he could just do one little thing, then it would be all over.  And that one little thing was to plant a seed of doubt in the mind of Christ.  But it didn’t work.  He came to the Lord at His weakest moment and the Lord cut him down to the ground by one thing, and one thing only…the Word of God.

Jesus was constantly in the Word, speaking the Word, and meditating on the Word.  The Psalms plainly bear out how much time the Lord spent in the Word.  So when satan tempted him, he could find nothing in Jesus with which to snare Him.

I’m reminded of another time in a garden when satan tempted another.  And because she had not partaken of the Word (the Tree of Life) she quickly succumbed to the first temptation that came her way.  But the truth of the matter is that satan did the same thing to her…he planted a seed of doubt in her mind as to her identity in God.  He said to her, “Has God said…” – “God knows that in the day you eat of it…you shall be as gods.”

They were already gods if you think about it!!! They were eternal beings that would have never died.  God gave them all authority over the earth and all things.  They were perfect, and they were holy.  They were gods in their own right.  Why?   Because God created them to be gods!! Do you remember the verse in Psalm 82:6 that says, “I have said, You are gods?”  And even the Lord in John 10:34 says the exact same thing again.

I want you to see something here: satan tempted her in the area of her being a god in the future.  But here’s the catch…she was already one in the present.  And in the same way satan tempts us the same way.  He comes and tells a little bit of the truth so as to make his lie that much more palatable.  He adds just enough truth to make it appear in line with the Word.  He says, “You shall be as Christ in the future.” & “You shall be like Him one day soon.” & “You shall be holy when you are with Him.”

It’s all a lie.  The only time that satan ever tells the truth is when he wants to make a little lie bigger.  Brethren, you are already holy in Christ.  You already have all power and all authority available to you. Not in the future…but RIGHT NOW!!!  God has put you in Christ.  Everything that is Christ’s now is yours now.

You are a co-heir with Christ, now, in this life.  You need the spiritual inheritance now in this life…not in the next.  You won’t need anything in the next life.  You need it right now!! Why?  To further the kingdom of God, and the purposes of God in the earth.

Satan is going around and stealing the identity of people every day, and they just let him do it.  Jesus called satan a thief in John 10:10 and what is the very first thing listed in that verse? “The thief comes to steal…”  And just what has he come to steal?  Your identity dear reader…your identity.  There is a big difference between a thief and a robber.  A robber comes to you personally and by force steals from your person; but a thief comes at night so as to not be seen or detected and steal things that you won’t know about until you either notice it or do an inventory of your belongings.  The smart thieves don’t leave a trace that they were even there.  And it can take a long time to detect that something has been stolen from you.

Satan has been stealing the identities of people from the beginning of time.  His first victim was Eve.  He has filled his file cabinets with the tokens of his thefts…your identities.

I don’t know about you, but the “thief has been found out” (Prov. 6:30) in my life.  The Lord through His Word has showed me the truth.  As one brother said many years ago, “most will live their lives out far below the benchmark of what God has originally intended  for them.” I think I agree with his assessment.  We were never meant to live in poverty, lack, defeat, low self-esteem, or sickness.

In Christ we are kings of the Most High God (Rev. 1:6 & 5:10)!! We were created in Christ to reign as kings on the earth, and to live and walk in all authority.  The problem is that we can’t believe it because we won’t spend time in God’s Word to get the truth of this deep down in our hearts and minds. It is easier to believe a lie than to believe the truth.

If you’re not living right now in the fullness of Christ, it is only because your identity has been stolen.  Get it back!!  Go to the police station (God’s Word) and get it back because they are holding it for you.  But they can’t contact you because they don’t have your number…it’s up to you to do a little investigating into this and find your identity again.  You’ve only got one identity and that is Christ.  When you can really see yourself in Him and realize that everything that He possesses has been given to you, then you will have found your identity.  And the thief will have been found out in your life – and then according to Proverbs 6:30…make him pay you back sevenfold!!!

This is a very serious matter brothers and sisters.  Identity theft is affecting millions of Christians around the world on a daily basis.  There are steps you can take to guard your identity.

1. Study God’s Word (especially the Pauline epistles)
2. Believe God’s Word
3. Act on God’s Word
4. Guard your heart by your living holy unto Him
5. Meditate on these truths
6. Speak  the Word of God out of your mouth

Hasn’t the thief done enough damage to you and your loved ones and your circumstances?  When will you say, “Enough is enough!!”  What will it really take for you to see this truth and act on it?  Get your identity back right now!!  It’s yours!! E.W. Kenyon has a powerful little mini-booklet out that I read years ago entitled “Identification.” Order it online and read it and think about its truths.  Because brother and sister, the truth will NOT set you free!!  Yes, you heard me right…the truth will not make you free.  Read John 8:32 again and you will notice something…it says, “And you shall KNOW the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Please notice that you must first “know” the truth before you can be made free in any area of your life.

You first have to have a working knowledge of the truth to be set free in that area of your life.  And it is my prayer that you will know the truth in this area and that this truth will then make you free in your mind to see the truth and act upon it.  The world is waiting for you to take your place in God’s kingdom as a son, as a priest, and as a king.

Believe in what Christ has gained and purchased for you.  It has all been paid for.  Only receive it by believing it and walking in it!!  The choice is yours dear reader.  Don’t live life another moment without seeing the truth of who you are in Christ.  Begin to search God’s Word for this truth.  Ask Him to reveal it to you.  This is a truth that satan will fight you tooth-and-toenail for.  He will do everything he can to keep it from you.

You have all authority over him.  Take that authority and walk in it.  Use it…Christ gave it to you for a reason.  Believe in it!!

See you on the front lines after you get back from the police station.  Bring your ID with you and keep it on you