A friend sent me an email about identity theft this evening, and when I saw those words “identity theft” something just jumped in my spirit.  Aha! Now I know what I’m supposed to write about.

    In the natural realm, identity theft means someone assumes your identity for the purpose of fraud, or to profit from your good name.  And it happens all too often, causing untold grief to the victim.  Sometimes they recover from it, sometimes not.  Most often, it leaves long lasting problems, ranging from fear to financial ruin.  And the perpetrator is  not always caught, and even if they are, it does not automatically mean everything will be ok again for the victim.

    What about spiritual identity theft?  You say you’ve never heard of that?  Well, you should have, because it probably happens to you every day!  Just a couple hours ago it happened to me.  I was driving down the road on my motorcycle, about 65 mph on a 70mph road.  I happened to glance in my mirror just as a car coming at me fast in my lane, full of young people whizzed by me inches away, running me off the road, onto the dirt, and giving me the “finger” on the way by.  Before I knew it, I had downshifted 2 gears and was out of the ditch in hot pursuit, ready to find out what their problem was.  They took the next exit about a block off, ran the stop sign and whizzed around the corner and behind a gas station to lose me.  I was ready to “adjust some attitudes”, as it was a deliberate act, not an accident.  I pulled up by their car and asked what their problem was, and one of them just smirked at me.  When I got off the bike, they rolled the windows up and sped off.  Lucky for them.   Oh, I would have repented later….and even prayed for their healing according to the verse “after you have suffered for a while”…

    My wife was to meet me for supper, and I told her about it.  She asked me if Jesus would have confronted them.  It was then I realized, since I don’t have chapter and verse about that, I don’t know.  But this I do know, the devil was out to steal my peace and joy, my identity as a child of God, and to get me to act ugly just like his heathen kids would act.  And if that carload had not left, I just might have……and don’t tell me you’ve never done it….

    Just the thought that I even thought about it, is what worries me…because I know better.  It shows me how effective the devil is at identity theft.  Especially on preachers.

    Perhaps about a dozen times a day the devil tries to steal our identity as children of God.  Deuteronomy 28: 1-14 talks about the blessings God will heap upon us if we diligently hearken to obey His word.  God says we are to be the head and not the tail, above ONLY and not beneath, that we will be the lender, not the borrower. How is it then, we sometimes find ourselves the tail and not the head, beneath and not above, and the borrower, not the lender?  It’s because of identity theft; someone else is living the life WE should be living, that we are entitled to.

   Let’s say you’re suffering from some type of physical symptoms…the Bible says in Psalm 103:2-3, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”  That means part of my identity as a child of God is “forgiven” and “healed”.  But you know the devil…he’s always accusing us with something, or telling us we have no right to be blessed or healed.  Or that we will never be acceptable or pleasing to God, or some other trash like that.  Who does he think he is, anyway?  He’s the THIEF, that’s who!  And he’s out to steal YOUR identity.  You, the blessed, healed, forgiven, prospered, highly favored and beloved child of God, are marked by the devil for identity theft.  He’s going to do everything in his power to have you seeing yourself as the unloved, forsaken, poor, sick, downtrodden, out of luck lame duck that he is, while he portrays himself with YOUR identity to lure in new “suckers” into his fold. 

    How is it the devil draws new people into his kingdom every day?  By luring them in with the promise of what belongs to YOU, the child of God.  The world is after joy, peace,  blessing, and the good life.  Only problem is, that is reserved for GOD’S kids, not the devil’s.  So….the devil tries to steal your identity, hoping you’ll be an easy chump who will turn it over without a fight, like Adam and Eve did.  You see what happened to them.  They started off in dominion of the world, but got their identity stolen by the devil, and he ended up in charge in their place.

    I guess what I’m needing to ask you, are you willing to be the victim of identity theft?  I didn’t think it could happen to me, but it did.  And it can happen to you, too!   If you’re not willing, then when the devil comes calling, you need to let him know who YOU are, and that you intend to remain who you are, and he isn’t about to move you from your identity, nor what belongs to you as a child of God.  I learned a valuable lesson today, and I hope my experience saves you from identity theft.  It taught me how slick and subtle the devil is, and to be on guard over my identity even more than ever as the day of Christ’s return approaches. 

    For only those who can positively be “identified” as His will go with Him at His coming.  And those who have let their identity be stolen will be left behind.  Watch.  Pray.  Be alert!