The all-time greatest trick of the devil is to make Christians believe that they are less than what they really are. This is not a new trick. It is as old as the time of Adam and Eve. It was the same trick that he used on them. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5.
Satan told Eve that the reason why God did not want them to eat from the tree at the center of the garden was that God does not want them to be like Him (BIG DECEPTION!!!) Let’s see how it was a deception. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
From the onset, God created Adam and Eve in his image and likeness. Then the devil came and told them that they are not like God. His target was their identity. The main reason why Adam and Eve sinned against God was that they don't know who they are. They lost the garden of Eden because they don't know who they are. This has always been the problem of man till now.
Do you know that the devil used the same trick on Jesus Christ at the wilderness when He tempted Him? "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:"'He will command his angels concerning you,"'He will command his angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone'" Matthew 4:6. Is Jesus not the Son of God? If Jesus had done what the devil requested it will simply mean that He is not sure of his identity. Jesus did not do what the devil requested of Him because He knew who He was. There is nothing to prove. You don’t have anything to prove to anybody if you know who you are.
At new birth, we became a new creature; brand new spirit man (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are a new creature. You are who God said you are. You are not what people say you are. You are not what circumstances say you are. You are God’s image, after His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). You have the same mind as Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). And you are like Jesus (1 John 4:17).
BATTLE OF IDENTITY simply means what you believe is what you become. To become like Christ you must believe that you have the capacity to be like Christ. To become what God created you to be, you must believe in what God you are.
This is the basis of character transformation and development. This is the foundation of man's success. Stop allowing circumstances, information, events, and people to decide who you. You are what you allow your mind to accept and believe. This can be changed and you will become the REAL you. Your mind might be messy now but the truth is that as a believer you have the capacity to conform to the image of Christ.
When you begin to expose yourself to the truth, a process of change (But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18) begins inside of you. This process is the real battle because it will not come easy.
“Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man falls after the same example of unbelief” Hebrew 4:11. The effort is needed from you in this process of mental transformation. Labor requires effort and activity. In labor, energy is lost. In labor, there are chances to become weary, weak and stressed out. Above all, time and discipline are needed because it is battle. The mind of a man is referred to as stronghold (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Patience is needed. The study is needed. It requires a high level of discipline and diligence.
If you continue to expose yourself in the truth ( studying the word of God, listening to good tapes, attending good seminars and conferences) and as you start to put into practice the truths you learn, your thinking system will begin to change, from there your words will begin to be more positive, and you will begin to act positively.
