To win battles, yes, you need to know your enemy, but more importantly, you need to know your enemy's tactics. This true especially in a spiritual battle.
We know that our number one enemy is Satan. He is "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). He is "Your enemy [who] prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). He is "the accuser of our brethren, who accuses them before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10).
Satan's goal is to steal souls from the Lord. He uses deception and lies, as well as our weaknesses against us in order to cause us to sin. Ultimately he hopes that we stray from God and continue to live in this sin.
The Bible tells us the tactics that Satan uses, but it also tells exactly how to resist him so he will flee from us - and the good news is we are victorious in Christ!
Today we will look at one of the tactics that Satan uses in his battle against us - IDENTITY CONFUSION.
Before we look at Satan's tactic of identity confusion, it is important to understand what identity is, how it is defined and where it really comes from.
What is Identity?
Identity is defined as "the distinguishing character or personality of an individual" (MW, 2024). This is a very basic definition of a much deeper and more meaningful concept than we typically understand it to be.
Every one of us have unique personalities, talents, interests, beliefs, and ideals. These things contribute to what makes us who we are. Most people agree that these characteristics develop out of circumstances or experiences that we are subjected to during the course of our lives. The thing is, however, these traits can change depending on certain situations.
Psychologists say that a person's identity is made up of their commitment to personal goals, values, and beliefs. They also assert that individual identity is formed as a person progresses through various stages of life and each facet of identity is the result of individual and social experiences (JMU, 2023). These definitions are basically the same; however, they leave out the most important fact about one's identity (which we'll discuss in a minute).
Now, all of the things mentioned above may be true and surely do contribute to one's personal identity. However, the truth of the matter is there is so much more to identity than psychologists or scientists want to give credit to. They would rather explain identity through worldly terms and scientific studies, than look at the deeper and more meaningful definition.
How Society Defines Identity
For years, people have been inundated with psychological testing that centers around identity. (I have even done these tests myself). There are several tests available and include the following:
Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (BTW - I am an ENTJ)
DiSC Personality Tests
Personality Perfect
The Hogan Personality Inventory
The HEXACO Personality Inventory
This is just a small example of the testing that is available out there. Honestly, the list goes on and on...
We are consistently encouraged to look at the external factors that have affected our lives over the years. For example, a woman is first identified as her parents' daughter. When she gets married she becomes her husband's wife. Then she has children and becomes her children's mother. This natural progression of life leads her to believe that these circumstances make up her identity. While they are all part of her life, they are not who she truly is at her core.
Others may think that their identity is formed through their choice of career. These are the people who spend countless hours and energy pursuing their "dream job." Their dedication to career success becomes, in their minds (and those who know them), a characteristic that defines who they are.
Yet others base their identity on financial or social status, appearance, and reputation, among other things. Young adults in college may consider their GPA part of their identity. Finally, people also look to their ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, political views and even hobbies to identify who they are.
These "identity traits" are not permanent parts of who we are because they can change at any given moment. When we base our identity on the things I mentioned above, we could be setting ourselves up for disappointment.
For example, we may question our career choice if we are suddenly laid off from work and the success we worked for is taken from us. As we age, our appearances are going to change. You see, we cannot tie our identities to things that are not life-long parts of who we are.
Again, all of these circumstances, situations and ideals that I mentioned are indeed part of our lives and may contribute to who we are, but these traits do not tell the whole story from the beginning - they are just additions to the whole story of who we are.
Stay with me... it will all make sense, I promise.
Where Does Identity Really Come From?
The most important facets of personal identity do not come from experiences or circumstances, although, again, they do contribute to one's growth as an individual. Psychologists, scientists, and society as a whole have left out the true definition of individual identity and where it came from.
Let's start at the beginning...
On the sixth day of creation, God made man. In Genesis 1:26 He says " Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." This is where our identity begins.
Everyone born into this world is created in the image of God. Do you realize what this means?
It's important to understand the implications here. What it means is that being created in God's image is the most important aspect of who we are. Allow me to explain...
Why is it Important to Understand Our Beginning?
We Are Made In God's Image
The second half of Genesis 1:26 is very important. God says: “...let [mankind] have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Keep this verse in mind as you read on...
Being made in the image of God signifies that humans are born with dignity and worth. We are IMPORTANT and PRECIOUS to Almighty God. Knowing this fact helps us to understand that the qualities that make us unique are qualities that God Himself places within us.
Our ability to reason, to love others, to have compassion and empathy set us apart from all of God's other creations and gives us dominion over them. These qualities are placed within us and establishes mankind as more than just mere animals. We are connected to God in a very special way.
God Knows Us...Even Before We Are Born
One of the most important aspects of our identities is that God knows us even before we are born. God tells the prophet Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5). The same is true for us. Before we are formed in our mothers' wombs, God knows us.
Understanding that God knows us before we are born is very important to our identity. In Jeremiah 1:5 written above, God tells Jeremiah that He sanctified him and ordained him as a prophet. First of all let's define two words: Sanctified means "set apart" and to ordain something is to "decree it officially."
So...just like Jeremiah, we too are sanctified and ordained - before we are born. On a side note, this fact leads us to conclude that every single pregnancy is part of God's plan. In other words, there are no "accidents."
Think about how important it is to understand that God set each one of us apart AND He made a decree for us to be born and at this specific time in history. To me, that is awesome!!
This leads us to the next point...
God Creates Us For a Specific Purpose
Every one of us has a specific purpose ordained by God. We all have a "calling" if you will. Jeremiah 29: 11 confirms that God creates us with specific plans in mind: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
I always tell my sons (as I would tell anyone) that they are important to this world because when God looked down at the world, He felt that it needed each of them - for a reason. The same is true for every one of us. None of us are here by accident.
Our job is grow close to the Lord, seek Him daily and figure out what He created us to be and what purpose we are here to serve. Trust me, it may take some time to figure it all out, but YOU are here for a reason! Make it your life's goal to fulfill your purpose.
Wear God's Image Boldly
Being made in the image of God means that every human being has innate dignity and value, regardless of their circumstances or situations. This dignity and value reflects the characteristics of God.
These characteristics include love, kindness, goodness, creativity, and reason (to name a few) and each one gives us a foundation for morality and a responsibility to care about and respect others. This establishes the fundamental worth of each person as a reflection of God.
So you see, YOU are important to Almighty God, created individually they way HE wanted you to be. You are created for a purpose and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!!
Now that you know how important you are to God, Satan doesn't want you to cling to this knowledge. He wants you to have doubts and to be confused about who you really are. Why? Let's talk about it...
Why is Identity Confusion Important to Satan?
The simplest answer to why Satan wants humans confused about their identity is that Satan knows if he can confuse us as to WHO we really are, he can negatively affect our relationship with our Creator, even to the extent of severing that relationship.
Unfortunately today, Satan's success in the area of identity confusion is growing every day.
Don't forget what Satan did. He refused to settle for the identity God gave him and chose to create a new one for himself. This new identity separated him from God forever. Isaiah 14:12-14 tells us how Satan (Lucifer) chose to exalt himself above the Lord. Like I just said, the result of Satan's actions is separation from God - and that's what Satan desires for all mankind, as well. In other words, he wants to take us with him to hell.
Confusion Leads to Doubt
Identity confusion or lack of understanding of one's true identity leads to doubt. For example, if you are confused about a choice you're faced with, that confusion could lead to doubt about making the correct choice for your life.
Satan plagues us with confusion about who we are in the eyes of God. This results in seeds of doubt being sown within our hearts. If we don't know foundationally WHO we are - which is made in the image of God with a unique purpose - we walk around wondering what we are even here for.
All of these doubts lead to fear, anxiety, depression and questions about our very existence. Doubts can also lead to conclusions like these...
God Must Not Love Me
Trust me, God loves you. This is a promise you can rest in. The enemy does not want you to believe that God cares for you and wants the best for you. Satan also wants you to believe that because of the things you've done, there is no way that God could ever love you.
There are several verses in the Bible that confirm God's love for us:
"The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
God Made a Mistake
Make no mistake about it, God DOES NOT make mistakes. Psalm 18:30 confirms: "As for God, His way is perfect." Let me say this again - God does NOT make mistakes.
If you or someone you know is confused about personal identity, it is NOT because God made a mistake, it is because Satan has influenced their ability to accept that they are perfectly made in the image of God. Like I said before, this is exactly how the devil wants it.
We are all born either male or female and our DNA proves this point. Genesis 1:27 states "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (emphasis mine)
No matter what people say regarding this gender debate, anything said other than the fact that there are two genders is a lie from the pit of hell all designed to blind people of their true, God-given identities.
Another important point to piggy back off the last one is that NO ONE is born in the wrong body. The body you're born in is the one God created for you. If you feel as if you're in the wrong body, again, it is the enemy who has deceived you so that he can control you and keep you from realizing who you really are in the Lord's eyes.
Final Thoughts
Identity Confusion does not come from the Lord. It is a weapon used against us by Satan in order to deceive us into believing that God is not good, He does not love us and that we have no worth. Additionally, it's a tactic to get us to doubt God's perfect plan for our lives and negate the fact that we are created in His image, as well as question whether or not God makes mistakes.
If you are facing identity confusion or know someone who is, understand that we have everything we need to stand up and stand firm against every single thing the devil throws at us - including questions about our identity.
As we grow in faith the devil becomes weaker and weaker, but that doesn't mean that he gives up trying to influence us. To grow in our faith, we need to make it a point to get with God daily in prayer and keep our focus on Him at all times and in every situation. We need to read and study the Word of God in order to implant it on our hearts. And we need to give thanks and praise to the Lord for all He does for us.
The Word of God is true....when we resist the devil, he WILL flee from us!!
Blessings,
Amy
For more tactics of Satan read my post: "The Tactics of Satan: Temptation", "The Tactics of Satan: Invading Your Thoughts" and "The Tactics of Satan: Fear & Doubt"
#Scriptures #BibleVerses #GodIsInControl #CallOnJesus #ChristianLife #StandFirm #AllThingsLife #GodWins #JesusIsMyStrength #ResistTheDevil #NotTodaySatan
#YouAreUnique #GodLovesYou
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