It’s easy to become engrossed with thoughts of spiritual warfare or on actions of service for God, but your focus should be on drawing near to God. The whole purpose of your life could and should be boiled down to simply enjoying God for who He is. If you learn to develop true friendship with God (a lifelong pursuit) then He will delight in sharing the secrets of His heart with you. Don’t just beg Him to speak to you out of need during a difficult time of your life, but rather plead for His presence out of desire. Spend some time reflecting on your reason for getting close to God, then pray and ask God to help purify your motives. Don’t draw near to God for power, gifts, needs, or blessings: draw near to God because He is your father.
Adam and Eve were created for the purpose of fellowship with God; certainly, God had given them the Garden for dominion and ownership, but He intended to walk with them daily. Man was created in God’s image and therefore held second place in the hierarchy. The entire spirit world is based on an authority structure, which is described in some detail in Eph 6:12. Satan deceived Eve in the garden and Adam took of the fruit knowingly (1 Timothy 2:13-14) which subjected us unto sin and made us slaves of death and hell. (Romans 5:12) It wasn’t until Jesus came and died on the cross that we were redeemed or bought-back out of our slavery to sin and regained our place as second-in-command in the forces of the world.
As saved and redeemed Christians then, we have great power through Christ! Yet few Christians live out their lives in the power God intended for us and much of the power Satan has to hold over us comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of our identity in Christ.
Your True Identity
Here are some verses for you to study regarding your true identity in Christ:- We are new creatures reconciled to God by Jesus Christ. We are also the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
- We are heirs of God according to the adoption of sons (Galatians 4:1-7)
- We are chosen by God, accepted in the beloved, redeemed, given an inheritance, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and given authority through the church. (Ephesians 1)
- We are God’s workmanship, brought nigh by the blood of Jesus, reconciled unto God, given access to the Father by the Holy Spirit, fellow citizens in the household of God, and a habitation of God. (Ephesians 2:10-22)
- You have the same value as Jesus. “Reconciliation” is a financial word which means an equal exchange. The value of something always equals the price that was paid for it. (Colossians 1:20)
- We are the elect of God, forgiven by Christ. (Colossians 3:12-13)
- We are lively stones, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, and the people of God. (1 Peter 2:5, 9-10)
- We are the sons of God. (1 John 3:1-3)