Identity theft is a real issue these days. It is a by-product of living in the natural realm that has the potential to cause worry and anxiety, and rightly so. The ability to prove who we are is something we take for granted, and it’s a jolt to find out someone else has stolen such highly personal information. By comparison, living in the supernatural realm protects our identities because we base them on who God says we are.
The danger of living by worldly standards is that our identity can change often, depending on society’s whims at the moment. What’s right one day is wrong the next, and vice versa. Basing our identity on our actions keeps us off-balance and always guessing who we really are. However, getting born and accepting Christ reveals exactly who, and whose, we are. “And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago” (Ephesians 1:13, NLT).
When we become believers, we receive the same divine identity as God. Thieves can’t steal this identity, no matter how hard they try. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:14-16, NKJV). As His children, we have a right to inherit the promises of safety, security, peace of mind, and protection. This is something the world doesn’t have.
In the natural, the identity we work so hard to protect is only based on numbers, data, and things thieves can swipe. The devil is hard at work trying to whip us into a terrified frenzy, and the idea of identity theft is one way he does it. When we trust in God for our identity, we receive a peace of mind the world will never be able to understand or possess. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV). God’s peace is stronger than any spirit of fear roaming the earth today.
Identifying who we are by Jesus Christ removes all the back-and-forth identity questions the world generates, because He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, NKJV). He is wisdom, love, peace, joy, stability, strength, prosperity, success, and everything good. He’s the bedrock that never fails or wavers; when God’s children assume His identity, they’re empowered to live on the same plane that He does. “…Because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
We still should exercise due diligence and be careful and cautious when something doesn’t seem right. It’s wise to use our God-given common sense while living our lives, but when we take His Word to heart, we won’t have the same nagging fear that stalks the world. No matter where cybercriminals hide or how carefully they plan their attacks, God has our backs. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
The devil will always try to scare us, but we don’t have to fear. When identity thieves bring bad news, we can depend on God’s Good News. When we know who we really are, the enemy can’t succeed.