It used to be that we could leave our homes unlocked when we went to church, or leave a window open to cool down the apple pie. There was once a time when we could let our children wander the neighborhood streets without fear of kidnapping.
Those days are LONG a thing of the past. I just read in a newspaper article recently that the headlights of porches are being stollen! Why? Because not only are they energy efficient, but they are also effective lamps for growing Marjuana plants behind closed doors.
It is not just this kind of theft that we need to be concerned with, but even identity theft is rampant today.
Identity theft is all around us. We are living in a day when anything that identifies us cannot be discarded without first being mutilated. It is certainly a sad world that we live in when such things happen.
If you stop and think about it, we must constantly guard our spiritual identity. As a Christian, I used to always get so discouraged when I fell into sin. I would stand before God, ashamed of myself, and SURPRISED at myself that I had done such a thing.
Have you ever been surprised at yourself when you did something wrong? I am speaking to those who need a physician, not to those of you who are perfect.
Can I encourage you if you have ever felt this way? Can I say very assuredly and sincerely that...it wasn't you?
Now why would I make such a strange statement? Of course it was you...wasn't it?
The Bible clearly states that it wasn't, and ISN'T! If you have been born again, the union with sin has been broken, and therefore,
Romans 7:19-20 says, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
Do you see the identity theft? Do you see that it's not you, but sin that dwells in you?
Romans 6:11 says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Do you see the parallel in these two verses? "It is no more I...but sin," and "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."
The wrong done is by sin, and the union to sin is broken! What a wonderful relief to know this glorious truth!
Now that we understand that it is a case of identity theft, what can we do to prevent it from happening? Because even though it is a wonderful thing to know that we are not guilty of the crime, still, there are consequences when identity theft takes place. Damage still is done, and sin still brings forth death.
Just as there is protection from identity theft, there is protection from the invasion of sin. You see, at one time, sin had rights to us, just as a husband has rights to a wife; but just as a wife is free from her husband when he dies; so are we made free...when WE die. You see, sin is alive and well, it is we who are to die from it. We are to die only to be made alive unto God. How is this possible? Romans 6:11 tells us, "through Jesus Christ." And Galatians echoes this in chapter 6 and verse 14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
With all of this being said, sin is now an intruder. So how do we prevent it?
This is where the armor of God comes in handy. We need to be watchful, always aware of the aggressor. We must never turn away from him, for he will shoot us in the back. Our armor is not designed for running from the enemy, but toward him. It is first the truth that we are to gird ourselves with. Truth must be first in everything. It was truth that authored the very word of God that told us the good news in the first place. Truth doesn't need to make sure there there are no contradictions. The truth is simply told, more than 40 writers testify to it, a God of truth inspires it, and it just happens to have no contradictions because truth was its author!
Then, when we wear the breastplate of righteousness; the temptations of the wicked one in this world-the fiery darts of Satan-are deflected.
Spreading the gospel is yet another defense against identity theft, because the more we share the gospel with others, the more we are reminded of what we were saved from, and WHO it is that enables us to live a sin-free life!
Truth has also authored something else, and that is our faith. To see how accurate the Bible is the more that we read it, our faith is always stronger. Satan loves to shoot fiery darts of distortion into our minds, blowing small problems way out of proportion. I was faced with this very problem recently. God tremendously blessed our Sunday services one Sunday, and that very evening, I saw on the computer, a man speaking very unkindly about preachers. He was a man who recently left our church and Satan used the comments to crumble my joy of that memorable day. Who am I to say he was referring to me? The truth is certain, Satan surely was referring to me! Otherwise, he wouldn't have angered me at the vagueness of the man's statement. It is for this very reason that we must ever uphold the shield of faith, and quench those fiery darts.
We must not forget the helmet of salvation. Let us never forget that we have been WASHED in the blood, and that what sins may come forth from us is that sin that is in us, and not we ourselves!
Finally, let us cut the air that Satan breathes with vehement lies with the sword of the Spirit.
These items are designed to protect us from the crisis of spiritual identity theft.