Identity Theft

Posted on May 28, 2019 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

“See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him.” —  1 John 3:1 (NLT)

I, for one, cannot understand why ANYONE would wanna steal my identity. Especially since I have a past that is full of human wreckage and financial stupidity, why would anyone wanna be me? But identity theft is becoming an everyday event. So much so, that good people are being put in places where they have nothing left to live on and their personal reputation is being ruined. I imagine it can be a real ugly feeling knowing that someone else, somewhere else, is pretending to be you…and is reeking havoc along the way. It’s a vulnerability that would be uncomfortable to say the least.

But now I wanna say this, well actually, I wanna repeat this, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a) and he wants to rob you of your true identity. Who am I talking about? Well it ain’t nobody we don’t already know of. He is called the father of lies in John 8:44, he is called a serpent in Genesis 3:1, he is called a deceiver in Revelation 12:9, he roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour in 1 Peter 5:8 and in front of The Most High God he is an accuser of the brethren as described in Revelation 12:10. He is the true identity thief and he goes by the name Satan.

Jesus knows him better than any of us and He warns us of three things Satan wants to do to us. Satan wants what he has no claim over, that is why he will destroy you in a place where you are million miles away from God. He will kill your dreams, hopes, ambitions, and your confidence so you have no signs of any spiritual life left. But most of all, he wants steal your identity as a child of The Most High God and he will attempt to take it from you at a moments notice. BUT GOD and His Word!!

Nowhere in God’s Word does it say, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what you were until you went and screwed everything up, you big dummy!!” That is not how our Bibles are written. When Jesus had His confrontation with Satan, He combatted every falsehood with a simple phrase, “It is written.” If we were to remember that whenever we feel like we’re slipping back into what it once was, we might be able to fend off our adversary a bit easier each time he comes at us. For instance,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation” (2Cor 5:17)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)

My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness” (2 Cor 12:8)

“For my grace you have been saved through faith…it is the gift of God.” (Eph 2:8)

Now if Matthew West doesn’t mind me borrowing this little diddy from his book, “Hello, My Name Is..”, I think we can combat Satan’s past-tense lies with God’s present-tense truths. And a 1, and a 2, “It is written, I am a new creation. It is written, there is now no condemnation. It is written, God’s grace is sufficient for me. It is written, I am saved by grace. It is written, I have been called a child of God, and that is what I am.” (Bet ya those wacky Pharisees would throw a fit if they heard us say, I am but that’s a different Freedom Fighter for another time) Anyway…

There’re a few things that the writer of Hebrews gives us in order for us to be battle ready and to Whom we are truly accountable to. First, we are given a weapon, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Heb 4:12). Then second, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable” (Heb 4:13).

Jesus wants us to free from what we were, become who He knows we truly are and walk into, what was described by the biggest dummy of them of all, the apostle Peter, “His marvelous Light”. Satan wants to keep your identity as “LOST” but Jesus Christ wants your identity to be “child of God.” Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) has been married for 25+ years (Kathy), has a married son (Kevin) and a daughter in college (Karen). He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 17-18, Matthew 15:1-20| You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself and not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat. If you know neither the enemy not yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” — General Sun Tzu

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. – Psalm 145:1-3

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.