THE CHALLENGED IDENTITY

We live in a world and society that almost always wants proof. It constantly wants us to prove ourselves and worth at every point in time. Sometime this month, the issue of vision and one’s purpose just kept popping up at almost every meeting my husband and I attended. One day, while pondering over the issue, God opened my eyes to this fact: the devil will forever keep taunting and questioning us over the issue of identity if we don’t know the answer. He will use it to wage war against you and destroy you if you are ignorant of this one fact. He will seek to ask you three questions at every meaningful point in your life and here they are: Do you know who you are and whose you are? If you do, then prove it.

Have you ever sat to ask yourself why the Devil kept challenging the identity of Christ at any given opportunity? Why he kept asking him literally, ‘do you know who you are? If you do, then prove it’. Twice, the bible records, the Devil asking him this one question while he was sent to the wilderness to be tempted before the start of his ministry. He said ‘If you are the son of God then……’ (Mat 4:3-7 NLT). Even unto death, the Devil kept taunting and questioning him over this issue. Twice he did this by using the people to say ‘if you are the son of God, save yourself and come down from there’ (Mat 27:40-44 NLT).

Herein lies the secret why Jesus did not fall into the temptation to prove his identity. Simply put, He knew who he was. He was grounded in his identity and knew that he didn’t need to prove anything to the devil because whether he did anything or not, it would never change the DNA that ran in his blood.

In the New Testament, there are very few times you ever hear God speak directly and in the hearing of people.  It’s like he was almost silent in that whole era. However, there were a few times his voice was heard and that usually only occurred whenever he was talking about his son.  More than once, he declared loudly and publicly how much he loved his son by making statements like “this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased’!

God knows the importance of validating his son’s identity. He knew the Devil was going to challenge this fact almost all through his life and so he was not going to leave it to chance. He was not going to hope his son knew how much he loved him or what he meant to him. He was not going to sit and think it in his heart and mind as so many people do these days. No, he was going to speak out of the hearing of all and proudly declare his love for his son. 

He didn’t just stop at telling him he was his son, but went further to declare how pleased he was with his son. He therefore affirmed it to Jesus.

That is why no matter what the devil was asking and saying to him in the wilderness, Jesus was not moved because his loving Father had already told him who he was and nothing was going to change that. He had said it in his hearing and the hearing of others.

Ever too often, people get carried away and do stuff they are not supposed to. They join groups and gangs simply looking for someone to tell them who they are. They seek acceptance, approval and love. They easily fall into the devils trap of trying to prove themselves to people and sometimes, to themselves. More often than not, all they are lacking is a thorough knowledge of who they are and whose they are.

When you know who you truly are, then you know that you do not need to prove anything to anyone because whether you do it or not, it can never change who you truly are.

I have two daughters and no matter what they do or if we ever have a falling out, they can never change the fact that my blood runs in their veins. Nothing in this world can ever change that. Even if they went for surgery and did an entire blood transfusion, it would not change the fact that I am their mother because my DNA is in them.

So, let me help some of you know who you are and whose you are in case you have forgotten or do not have earthly guardians who have helped you realize this. You are the child of the Almighty God; you are favored; you are blessed; you are unique and beautiful. God is in love with you and nothing you do can ever change that.

When the devil tries to ask you those deceitful three questions he always asks at any point in time, you just open your mouth and tell him these things.

He will back off.