Imminent Attack On Your Identity

1. My basic needs 

• Have you ever heard of the saying – killing two birds with one stone’ – solving two tasks at the same time or with one single action
• If you are the son of God 
• An Attacking the identity of Jesus and God at the same time 
• The devil had a plan- Sow doubt on who Jesus is and chip on the Fathers identity, if successful – This battle is won before it even starts 
• This my friends, are most of us- We are defeated in our minds before the battle even begins
• The devil doesn’t just choose a random weapon but goes for the nuclear bomb
• “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
• “Our Fathers prayer: Give us this day our daily bread”
  • If Jesus would be able to provide for Himself, there would be no need for bread from God, then the first part of the prayer is optional as well 

• • • Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come

• • If I can provide for myself – Trusting Him to be faithful is optional
  • If I can provide for myself – Seeing myself as son and daughter is optional
  • If I can provide for myself – I don’t have to settle for His bread, I can choose what I want 
  • If I can provide for myself – Then I don’t really need your Kingdom to come – I got this
• If Jesus could for a minute doubt the provision of His basic needs, then the provider (God) comes in to question 
• Remember Jesus very hungry!
• It’s the same lies that made Esau trade in His birth rights for a bowl of soup – Which were not his to give in the first place
• When we are “very hungry” we need to pay our bills, get daily provision, the deception is not that God will not provide, because this far He has- it’s an attack of your Faith – 
  • Do you believe that God truly is your Father and that you are a child of God? 
• If the answer is YES, then the rest doesn’t matter – God is enough
• But if the answer is anything less than a Yes (if we are tempted to create bread) – A crack is open -that allows for self-reliance and hidden in it is identity confusion, fear, doubt and eventually Spiritual death
• The excitement of the temporary fulfillment causes us to give up the sonship – daughter ship 
• We quickly forget the faithfulness of God and the promises of being an heir with Christ 
• IF YOU ARE? – Our response before those words goes from thoughts to our hearts should be – Yes, I am!
• No weapon formed against you- But you must be clear who you are, who is going to protect you and how it’s all going to end up 
• Vs 4- 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone.
• I love that Jesus even though very hungry, doesn’t even address this double attack– He knows that He as a child of God, and in His Father’s house the servants are eating to their fill – the Prodigal son 
• Jesus being very Hungry and Full of the Holy Spirit 
• And here you see how the Holy Spirit (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby)– steps in and fights for Jesus -We must have the fullness of the Holy Spirit 
• If Jesus had fallen for the “bread miracle” to show off to the devil that He is a son – then this would have automatically fulfilled the second test – Power and authority!! 

2. Power and authority 

• We see the enemy shift to the next tactic- If I can’t tempt you with, food, sex, drugs, Those things that have a direct effect on the body – How about power and authority 
• Vs 5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you worship me.” 8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.
• If daily provisions are not going to trip Jesus – I will give Him the power, influence, let me give you the best life now, an influencer- if only you would worship me  
• “When we fall for this trap, we end up being owned by the very thing we desired. And since the enemy controls these things—’because they are all mine to give to anyone I please’—he uses them to control us. In essence, we fall under his control.”
• The minute you say yes to power and authority, your identity is no longer yours- You are owned by that which give you the Power!
• Samson- a great example – Many times, the Spirit came over him and he was able to do macho things, but his identity as a tool of God was diluted by the quest for power and authority 
• Is your identity on the things that you influence? Or how others perceive you?
• Is your identity built on comparison?  do you feel less than- I am not like so and so, so I can’t, – Is there delayed expectation that when I am this – then I can 
• Folks, your identity is not defined by you social, financial, physical or intellectual standing, your identity was awarded when God said “You are wonderfully and beautifully made” 
• The other day I walked into the kitchen and said to Eva- I am wonderful – and some of you need to say that enough times so it can be part of you 
• If you don’t stand for something – you will fall for anything 
• Jesus very Hungry – and Full of the Holy Spirit – doesn’t even address the logistic of who owns who or what it should look like 

• He knows who He is and Knows His father – “I must worship the Lord my God and Serve Him only 

3. Test the Relationship 

• 9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 12 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.

• This test is different from the other two – The first two tests’ benefits Jesus (Provision and power)
• The two things that appeals to the human nature – Daily bread and power didn’t work on Jesus
• Now let’s have a full brown attack on the Father  – Attack the foundation and the structure falls
• Can He really do what He has say He can do– Lets test Him? 
• Is He really going to take care of you, provide, heal you, deliver you? 
• The devil quotes the Bible – I am challenging you with your own stuff
• Will God do what He says He will do?
• This is not the “ test on finances, or Gideon putting the fleece out – 
• This is an attack of Who God is and who He says He is and what He says He can do 

• Deuteronomy 6:16 (NLT) – You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah

• Exodus 17:1–7, The Israelites tested God at a place called Massah, They were thirsty in the wilderness and began to doubt whether God was with them. They complained to Moses, demanding water and questioning God’s presence:
• Jesus very hungry and full of the Holy Spirit responded 
•  “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’
• I don’t need to test God, I know who HE is and I know who I am 
• I know my identity and My Identity is in Christ 

What does this have to do with today’s text – II Corinthians 10: 1-6?

• 13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

• Next opportunity is everyday in our Christian life – The is an imminent attack on your identity
• And here we see the same tactics happening to Paul and unfortunately the enemy uses people

• II Corinthians 10: 1-6 (NLT) Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.
• 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 [a]We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
• Paul’s identity is under attack

• 2 Corinthians 11:5 (NLT) – But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things

• They are calling him weak by saying that he is bold when he writes and weak in person 
• These were false teachers who had come into the Corinthian church after Paul and began to undermine his authority.
• If they can discredit Paul, they can bring down everything that he has stood for and hence the Identity of God 
• We see this in politics today, if we can taint the person- then the message is diluted 
• But Paul is not falling for these attacks- He sees them for what they really are – Spiritual Attacks
• Jesus hungry, but full of the Holy Spirit – and we see Paul do the same
• He is not trying to fight with human reasoning 
• Human reasoning tells us it’s just bread, power is good and it’s just a test 
• But God’s mighty weapons – knocks down stronghold and destroys false arguments 
• What the devil was offering Jesus was “Pride” and Paul speaks directly to that 
• 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God
• When we know God, we know who we are – Our identity is intact regardless of the attacks 

I want to close with this: 

• In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus cried – “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 
• This prayer of suffering would never have happened
• If I can make bread from stone, If I have the power and authority, If I can test God – Then obedience is optional 
• The devil’s weapon wasn’t just to for Jesus’s appetite but to lender Him useless for the cross!
• Today, your identity is not about how you feel, or how you look, what you have or what you want, it’s about Your soul and if we are not full of the Holy Spirit- the hunger to the things of these world will Kill, Steal and destroy you!

• 13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.