Our Identity in Christ

 

Many times, we believe that our struggles with habitual sin and addictions are a power struggle of some sort. We think we must be strong and have willpower, if we only had more self-control then we would be able to overcome. We discussed this in a previous post. The reality is that our conflicts are not a power struggle but a truth struggle. Addiction is about truth versus lies not strength versus strength.

One of the most powerful truths I have found in my recovery journey is understanding the nature of my identity in Christ. The more I understand my position of power and authority in Christ, the more I can resist the temptations of the addiction. The more I have realized who I am in Christ, the more I have been able to combat the lies that contribute to my automatic thoughts and false beliefs.

When the Devil attacks, one of the most common pressure points he targets is our identity. He convinces us that we are worthless and inadequate. He tells us that we are sinners, addicts. "You are such an idiot."  He hisses. "If you were really a child of God you wouldn't keep sinning like that."  When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, two of the three temptations started with, "If you are the son of God..."(See Matthew 4) If it were possible, the Devil would have had even Jesus doubting his identity as the Son of God.

If the Devil can get us to forget who we are in Christ, and who we are as children of God then it becomes that much easier for him to trip us up with sin. Why should we behave like children of God if we are not his children, anyway?

Previously, we looked at some of the faulty core beliefs that Patrick Carnes identified which provide momentum to our addictions:

1.  I am basically a bad, unworthy person.

2.  No one would love me as I am.

3.  I am on my own to meet my needs.

4.  Sex/porn is my greatest need.

If we examine these, we can see that they attack us at that level of identity. Three out of four of them have the phrase, "I am."  Any time we hear those voices in our heads telling us some negative "I am" or "You are" then we can be sure it is an attack on our identity. These lies attack at the level of our value and worth as a person. They tell us that we are not worthy of love or affection. We are not valuable enough to be redeemed and restored.

We can see how all these false beliefs build off each other. If we believe that we are unworthy, then we will not believe that anyone would love us for who we are. If no one would love us, then we are on our own to meet our needs. If our needs are not being met in a healthy fashion, if our needs for intimacy are not being met, then we will look to some substitute, all too often that is porn, sex, or some substance. Then we act out, and the lying voices return, "See, I told you, you are worthless, that is why you did that. No one would love you if they knew you were doing that."  And the cycle continues, dragging us deeper into the addiction.

We may realize that we have a need, but we are convinced that we don't deserve help. Sometimes the language in our heads sounds like, "I don't want to bother anybody...They are too busy to help me..."  Ultimately, though, these lies are about our identity as well, we don't think we are worth anyone else's time and energy. We feel inadequate, that nobody would want to help us. So, we end up turning to the addiction for some relief and consolation. We often continue in the misery of our addictions and avoid recovery because we believe that is all we deserve.

These attacks on our identity often begin when we are very young and become firmly engrained in our thinking. Satan wants nothing more than to separate us from God and he knows we are most vulnerable when we are children. He convinces us that we are not good enough for God, or for anyone else, and we are on our own. He tells us that addiction/porn/sex/drugs are the only way we can have our needs met. When we fail, even at something insignificant, that voice comes back, "See, I told you that you were no good."  Even though the thoughts are from Satan, often they are in the first person, "I am such a failure."  "I am such an idiot."  "I keep sinning like this, God could never love someone like me."

The key to neutralizing these falsehoods is understanding and applying the truth of who we are in Christ. This comes primarily through reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture. A tremendous book on this topic is Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. Romans chapter six is a tremendous chapter to study, here are some important verses:

2. ...How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

11. Likewise reckon[consider] ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8 also has some powerful verses:

1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God:

17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Some other passages that are helpful: Ephesians 1-2, 5:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Colossians 2:6-15, 3:1-5; Psalm 103, 138:8, 139:14; 1 John 3:1-10, 4:4; Galatians 2:20; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Isaiah 43:1-2; Jeremiah 31:3; 1 Corinthians 2:16.

What I will then do is take the central idea of a verse and write an affirmation based off of it:

I am in Christ and Christ is in me.

In Christ I am healed and made whole.

In Christ I am made perfect, righteous, and holy.

In Christ I am dead to sin and addiction.

In Christ I am victorious over sin and addiction.

Sex/porn/masturbation is not my greatest need, my greatest need is to walk with God.

Christ is all I want and all I need, and I am fully satisfied in him.

I am a blood-bought, born-again child of the one true King, destined for eternal glory.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made, fashioned as a living icon of the wisest, bravest, most beautiful person who ever lived.

These verses and affirmations then become the focus of my meditation. I repeat them over and over in my mind, trying to reprogram my mind. Especially if I recognize that a particular lie or trigger is causing me problems, I will write or use an affirmation opposing that to help reset my thinking and beliefs.

To summarize this process: I act out, I examine the situation and environment around the acting out and determine the automatic thoughts and false beliefs driving the behavior. Once I understand those falsehoods, I look to Scripture to find the truth of who I am and what I need, then I write affirmations based on those Scriptures and finally I meditate on those Scriptures and affirmations.

I do not try to fight Satan or the addiction with my own wisdom, strength, or willpower. I learned long ago that is a losing battle. I need the weapons of truth to be able to combat the lies of the devil. As that truth takes root in my soul, the power of the addiction is gradually siphoned away.