3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Spiritual Identity Theft | alyssajhoward.com

3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Spiritual Identity Theft

Have you ever known someone to have a mid-life crisis? We see it all the time in the movies… the stereotypical middle-aged man running out and buying a sports car of some kind. And while I’ve never personally known anyone to take it to the extreme we see on television, I do know that we all experience times in our lives when we have a mental crisis of sorts. We forget who we are and question our place in life. When it comes down to it, what we are really questioning is our identity. We either don’t know who we really are, or we are questioning whether or not we like the person we’ve become. We are questioning our purpose and destiny as well. It’s in these moments that we make unwise decisions. (This is one of the reasons why the enemy loves to steal our spiritual identities.) So how do we protect ourselves from spiritual identity theft?

 

3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Spiritual Identity Theft | alyssajhoward.com

 

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Pay attention…

Identity theft has, unfortunately, become common in our culture. This is why we are told to be checking our credit reports regularly and to pay attention to our accounts. If we don’t, it’s not only easier to become a victim, but it makes it easy for thieves to continue using our identities for a longer period of time. It also makes it harder to untangle the mess they create.

This is true spiritually as well. We have to pay attention. It may be necessary to take a step back and look at where we are at spiritually from time to time. Accountability from a trusted brother or sister in Christ is also a good way to be paying attention in this area. The sooner we catch the enemy’s schemes, the easier it will be to untangle the mess he’s trying to create in our lives.

 

Walk in your identity…

Walking in your God-given identity each and every day will help to prevent spiritual identity theft. Why? Because when you’re not walking in your identity, you are giving the enemy an open door to attack. You’re giving him ammunition to use against you in his schemes.

A real child of God wouldn’t make the mistakes you’re making.

If you have really been made whole, why do you feel so alone in your circumstance?

Why do you feel so sad and hopeless when you are supposed to be experiencing the joy of the Lord?

 

When we aren’t walking in our identity in Christ, these lies begin to make sense. They may even have a bit of truth to them. You may be making bad decisions, you may feel all alone, and you may have lost hope… because these are things that naturally happen when we lose sight of our identity. We stop abiding in Christ the way we were called to do.

Knowing your true identity as a child of God, living a life that is purpose driven in this identity, and never losing sight of who you really are will prevent the enemy from having an opportunity to attack your identity.

 

Arm yourself for battle…

This may go without saying, but spiritual battle requires spiritual armor. If we’re going to protect ourselves from spiritual identity theft, we have to be wearing the armor of God. Have you ever noticed that most of our armor is defensive rather than offensive?

Far more pieces of our spiritual armor are designed for our protection rather than for offensive battle.

 

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:14-17

 

In all honesty, wearing our armor is the very essence of walking in our identity. Truth. Righteousness. Peace. Faith. Salvation. These are the very essence of who we are and what we have in Christ.

 

When protecting yourself from spiritual identity theft, never forget who the real enemy is and how you are called to defend yourself against him.

 

Click here for a full list of posts in this 31-day series!

 

3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Spiritual Identity Theft | alyssajhoward.com

 

 

*Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

**Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

 


 

 

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