Just Who Do You Think You Are?

Have you ever felt internally accosted by doubts about your identity as a child of God? If you have, you’re in good company! Jesus was confronted by a whole group of priests, religious law teachers, and elders in the Temple, basically asking him, “Just who do you think you are, anyway?”

“One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, ‘By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?'” (Luke 20:1-2 NLT).

If the Son of God was challenged on his position of authority, why should we expect any different? We may not have other people coming against us, but we certainly have an unseen enemy who would like nothing better than to shake our belief and pull us down, making us impotent in our faith.

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

How do we stand against Satan’s attacks of fear and doubt?

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm” (Ephesians 6:13).

 We stay ready for the battle:

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17).

To stay ready, we must be consistently in the Word of God. Meditating on his Word keeps us anchored in truth, reminding us that our righteousness and peace with God is found in Christ alone. We know that we are only saved through his death in our place, and through nothing we could ever do on our own. We have been given a precious gift!

In addition to all of this protective armor, we have an offensive weapon to use–the Word of God. If we are not reading and thinking on the truth of Scripture on a daily basis, our sword is going to get dull. That’s no way to win a skirmish!

When we pray, Satan may whisper into our ear that we really aren’t that important, why ever would God listen and respond to us? Who do we think we are, anyway??

I’ll tell you who we are.

We are children of the Most High God, and we have been given authority in the spiritual realm to ask and receive.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God“ (John 1:12).

“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir“ (Galatians 4:4-7).

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11).

Are you getting the picture? If someone walked up to the Prince of Wales and accused him of being a nobody, would that change his title? Not a bit. Would it make him question his standing? Nope. Facts are facts.

In the same way, we can stand against the accusations of Satan, knowing just where we stand in our Father’s eyes. We have been given authority now, and hope for our future!

“But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:35-36).

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.

1 Corintians 15:51-58

Stand firm in your faith, my friend!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

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It’s December 20, and today’s reading is Luke 20. We’ll finish the book of Luke on Christmas Eve!

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