Identity Approval.
“If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Satan to Jesus in Matthew 4:2
Hey everyone! It’s your girl Julie, and we’re back with another segment of “Salty & Lit.” In today’s post, we’re going to be talking about identity approval. Let’s pray:
Father, thank You that You made us in a special and specific way. You are the One in whom our identities are found. Help us to know that truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In my last post, I talked about who we are in Christ: called (Romans 8:28), chosen (Ephesians 1:4), and loved (1 John 3:1), yet just because God says we are these things does not mean there will not be a battle against our identities. If Satan was willing to attack Jesus regarding His identity by saying “If You are the Son of God” (Matthew 4:2), how much more willing would he be to us?
Let’s check out Matthew 4 for some context.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (NKJV).
Here’s some more context. Right before Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, in Matthew 3:17, God the Father publicly affirms Jesus by saying, “This is my Son, with whom I am well-pleased,” and then while Jesus is fasting, Satan attacks the very thing God just affirmed for Jesus: His identity. He basically says, “Jesus, prove that you’re the Son of God by turning these stones into bread.” You see, Jesus had all power, and He could’ve turned the stones into bread, but He chose to deny Himself of His physical desires and obey what the Lord was telling Him to do. You see, He was led to the wilderness to be tempted. The enemy doesn’t tempt with things that aren’t appealing to a person, so he was strategic in his tempting of Jesus. Yet Jesus, though He was hungry, still denied Himself that desire.
There are a few things that I want to highlight:
You don’t have to prove your identity to anyone.
The same way that Jesus did not give in to Satan when Satan tempted Jesus with His desire, you don’t have to do the same thing, sis. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. If God calls you daughter, you don’t have to prove to anyone that you are. If God says you are forgiven or chosen, according to 1 John 1:9, as well as Ephesians 1:11, respectively, you don’t have to prove to anyone or yourself that you are. God said it; that’s all that matters. Now just walk in it.
You don’t have to serve Satan.
If Jesus gave in to Satan’s temptation, He basically would’ve been under Satan because He obeyed, but the thing about Jesus is that He resisted, and though I didn’t include this earlier, the thing that Jesus resisted with was THE WORD. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Jesus fought back using the Word of God, and that was it.
Sis, the Lord knows who you are. He fashioned you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), but it’s up to you to live out the identity that He’s called you to live.
How?
By learning about His character by spending time in His Word, which in turn will help you learn about yourself. Let’s pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good. Thank You that our identities are found in You alone. Help us to learn Your truth and to live in that truth daily, that we are Your daughters. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
That’s all I have for today! Don’t forget that you are loved, salty, and lit! Talk to you soon! 🧡
