Our church supports Restored Ministries, a ministry now operating in over 130 nations which aims to set people free from addiction to pornography as well as the resultant damage caused by pornography addiction. The key to that ministry’s “success” lies in the client knowing their identity in Christ Jesus and thus understanding that their main identity is not that of a sinful pornographer but a new creation set free in Jesus. Author Patricia Lake, based in Curacao in the Dutch West Indies, believes much the same thing and has written a blog entitled, “Knowing Who You Are in Christ”. Serving with Ellel Ministries, Lake has been involved in the healing and deliverance ministry of individuals. Following is her article, in which she quotes from Joshua 1:9, “Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” And Daniel 11:32, ‘Now the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.’
In her article, Lake writes, ‘The above verse in the book of Daniel is referencing a time of great turmoil and trouble that is coming in the world in the lives of the people of God. It would be such a time of testing that only those who have the foundations of their lives in God would be able to withstand the onslaughts of evil and be victorious in their everyday lives. The beginning of such times is already upon us.
When the children of Israel came out of Egypt and God had allowed them to go through the wilderness, to get Egypt out of them, the time came for them to enter the promised land. Moses sent twelve spies on reconnaissance to search out the land. Ten spies came back with a bad report complaining about the giants in the land. Interestingly they complained that ‘there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come from the giants, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so were we in their sight’ (Numbers 11:33). We need to realise that how we see ourselves is how the enemy will see us.
Thankfully, two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, came back with encouraging reports to calm everyone down (Numbers 11:30). It’s also interesting to note that only Joshua and Caleb, along with the next generation who grew up in the wilderness, actually entered the promised land. The sobering thought is that all the complainers and those who refused to believe God’s word died in the wilderness.
Even in the time of (the Old Testament Book of) Judges, God sent an angel to coax Gideon out of hiding, encouraging him not to be afraid of the battle, by declaring, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour” (Judges 6:8). God is saying the same thing to us today.
Sometimes we forget who we are in Christ, sons and daughters of the Living God, in covenant with Him, and with the help of the Holy Spirit within. We sometimes compartmentalise our lives and often see the physical as separate from the spiritual, when in fact, the physical is a reflection of what is happening in the spiritual realm. Jesus has won the war, but we are called upon to be courageous, with His help, no matter what comes our way. Time and again the Lord’s words to us (particularly, as seen) throughout the book of Revelation show us that Jesus is looking for overcomers. Today’s verses encourage us in these perilous times!’ So, let’s focus on the value of knowing who we are in Christ Jesus!
