SATAN STEALS OUR IDENTITY
By Lee LeFebre
The older I get, the more I become aware
of the damage inflicted on mankind by Adam and Eve. We were made aware as children of the obvious and painful things like work, death, illness and disease. Later we found out about more problems like flesh, the world system, demons, principalities, and darkness. We also see birth defects, sexual disorientation, false philosophies, religions of men, political powers, etc. Now, in my senior mindset, I want to focus on one more kind of damage inflicted on us: identity theft.
I am somewhat naïve regarding the ways of con-artists who steal identities. Unfortunately, large businesses must have people engaged full-time in security matters to protect them from viruses, identity theft, stolen trade secrets, copyrights and patents. Even a small ministry like ours has to hire people to protect us from internet theft, invasion of our web site, theft of bank accounts, loss of social security numbers, and computer viruses. Yes, even the protection of our reputation itself.
The Original Identity Theft
Lucifer wanted to steal God’s identity when he—a beautiful, created being—aspired to be like God. How- ever, God would have none of it, and booted him out of heaven. On earth he conspired to kidnap the human race, steal our identities, and cause most of mankind to search for the rest of their lives to reclaim their identity. Unfortunately, once the damage was done, few even knew they needed a new identity, let alone an identity that could be received, rather than achieved.
After Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and captured the sons of Judah—young men with no blemishes, good-looking, gifted and intelligent—he was brazen in his attempt to change their identities. He sim- ply changed their names. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah became Beteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Their new names all honored Babylonian gods. As a child I referred to these new names without thinking about the implications of identity change. Today I see the treachery of it all. Their new Chaldean names were designed to cause them to for- get who they truly were: children of Israel—beloved of God.
Kidnapping
People, especially impressionable young people, can be influenced by kidnappers. Recently a young teen was kidnapped from a strong Mormon family by a couple who were crazed polygamists. It was not long before they had her convinced that her parents were not searching for her, so they must not love her. She was told that God had chosen her to be a wife for the shiftless, homeless drifter who had kidnapped her.
Stories like this abound
about children who, for example, are kidnapped by a divorced parent who wants sole custody, but can’t get it in the courts. The children are told that their custodial parents didn’t want them anymore, or had asked the kidnapping parents to take them. The children are brainwashed to think if their parents loved them, they would come after them; certainly they would search for them. Isolated from the news and the truth, the children begin to believe the lies.
The Method
The technique of stealing and recreating identities is intended to destroy or distort a person’s true history and origin. Start by telling lies about parents and loved ones, proceed by changing their name, and finally isolate them from anyone who might speak the truth. This tactic was first employed by the evil one when he instituted his plan in the Garden. He has infiltrated the church with lies and works to make certain that our temporary identities, based on law and flesh, are deeply ingrained. The enemy continues to lie to us about God. Satan has even given us many false leads about the way to God. Thus, when Jesus said he was the Way, the Truth and the Life, he was looked upon with skepticism—and he still is!
Although our true identity was never
consummated in the Garden of Eden (because we didn’t par- take of the tree of Life), our potential for identity in Christ and union with Christ was always there. Once our original parents fell for the lie, the revelation of our potential identity in Christ Jesus had to be postponed for thousands of years. God raised up the nation of Israel to keep their shattered identity somewhat alive for thousands of years. He called them his people, and even identified himself by their ancestral fathers by saying, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He was not ready to reveal himself through the Christ, until the fullness of time had come. He revealed himself as the God who was the restorer of true identity for the human race. Unfortunately, He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him (John 1:11).
But some received him, ....as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). We, the kidnap victims found our true identity as children of God when we came to Christ. By receiving us into the family of God, and by being joined to him, he has made us one with him... But he who is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17). He, in an instant, changed our names from sinners to saints. He changed us from being the unrighteous to being the righteous, for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).
He ransomed his own
, and made us children of God. He now calls us ...a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9). He says that we ...once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:10).
Next: Name Change.
