Who are we?

What you do flows from who you are.  As Christians, we live from our identity, not for our identity.  We are defined by who we are in Christ, not what we do or fail to do for Christ.  Christ defines who we are by who He is and what He’s done for us, in us, and through us.  Understanding this information is the key to your transformation.  When you know who you are, you know how to live.  Only if your identity is rooted in your relationship with God above the ever-changing circumstances of your life can your identity be life-proof and get you through any and every situation.  (Ref: How does Satan attack our identity? – RealFaith)

Further to my post last week, I have come to realise what is truly at stake – whether it be that we think we’re trans, battle anxiety, or are weak and uninfluential in this world – what is at stake is our identity.  As soon as we begin to lose our identity, or start being confused about who or what we are, the battle against us has already been won.

And why does this matter?

Well, firstly, I think that if we lose sight of who we truly are, then we’re so focused on who we aren’t, we don’t have the capacity to be effective in this world.  I have said many times, that too many Christians battle anxiety, instead of getting on their knees to pray.  Anxiety is awful and those feelings that run rampant through your body and have absolutely no control over is the worst feeling in the world.  But it is also a distraction.  While I am spending so much time reading books on how not to feel anxious and taking “happy pills” to keep myself calm, I am distracted from my true calling – that is to pray.  I accept that not all of us can go out there and change the world, but we can all pray.  Anxiety is one of the most selfish things I think someone can do to someone else because your life becomes all about managing your anxiety and not truly living your life. 

Are we doing this on purpose? 

Absolutely not.  If I could control my anxiety, I wouldn’t have it.  So, please don’t misunderstand what I am saying.  I think we’re in a war, and I think Satan, who studies us and knows our weaknesses, will use whatever means at his disposal to distract us and keep us focused on ourselves.  I hate having anxiety.  I hate waking up in the morning and wondering if today is the day I am going to go down the rabbit hole, and if I do, will I be able to find my way back to normality?  I hate living in fear of panic attacks, choking, and feeling fearful and anxious all the time. 

But again, I also know that when I am in that way, I am not focusing on God, nor am I praying.  So, our identity is being attacked – remember, we belong to the Prince of Peace, and He did not give us fear, but power, love and a sound mind.

As for trans, well, I would imagine that the same would hold true.  While someone who thinks they are trans is battling this issue (and I know that for some the battles are real and not an attention-getting scheme) and it feels like the war is being lost, you are also not praying or focusing on God.  You are not surrendering yourself to a higher power, you are holding more tightly onto who you think you are.  Your identity is being attacked because you are created in the image of God and He made them male and female.  Whatever your battle is – and we all have battles, each one of us, first try ascertaining if it’s truly the battle that you think it is, or if is it a case of your identity being attacked.

Remember:

1. You are a child of God.
2. You are a child of Abraham.
3. You have been saved by Jesus.
4. You are beautiful.

Add whatever else suits your situation.  Mine are:

5. I am a wife and mother.
6. I am a runner and a reader.
7. I am skinny, fit and healthy.
8. I am loved.
9. I am calm and at peace.

This is my true identity.  I am a person who occasionally battles anxiety – I am NOT an anxious person.  Do you see the difference? 

Remember who you are and remember whose you are.

Satan declares war on our identity because he knows it is perhaps the surest way to wreck the relationship between us and our God.  Satan refused to accept his God-given identity and instead sought to form a new identity apart from God.  He tempts us to do the same, which is demonic.  God created you with an identity, and Satan wants you to instead live out of some counterfeit identity (Ref: How does Satan attack our identity? – RealFaith)

So, besides the fact that attacking our identity cripples our effectiveness as Christians in the world, and messes with our relationship with God, it also affects whom we think we are.  If we think we can’t do anything, we’d pretty much prove ourselves right.  As mentioned above, if I believe I am an anxious person, I will have anxiety, because anxious people battle anxiety.  However, if I believe myself to be a normal person, who occasionally has some anxiety – do you see how that changes things?  I am trying to get back to seeing myself as this normal person, of reclaiming my identity in Christ.  God did not make us fearful, but Satan most certainly has.

Attacking our identity also affects how we relate to the world.  Either the world will defeat us, or we will be victorious.  We can’t be both – and knowing our identity in Christ and believing in His strength to sustain me goes a long way to engage the world in a positive manner.  And your identity, most importantly, will affect your relationship with God.  How can you relate to God as a supreme loving being when you have no idea if you’re a boy or a girl?  Or if you are depressed or an anxious person?  We can battle the battles that we have, but we also need to know who we are in Christ.  That is where victory comes – just because Satan denied his identity and allowed arrogance to pull him down, doesn’t mean we have to.  Life is hard, already hard without us having to add to it.  Noone ever said life would be easy, but if we know our identity, then we on a sure footing to gauging these battles and winning.