Living in Our True Identity in Christ

Imagine waking up one morning to discover your entire identity has been remade. You receive instructions that you are being reimagined and redefined by different realities than before. Now imagine agreeing to this, saying goodbye to your previous identity, and taking on a whole new way of life.

This sounds like a Jason Bourne movie, but in a sense, it is what happens when we come to know Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord. In that instant, we are regenerated and receive from God’s Spirit a new identity, as those who are now in union with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10). The Bible says we are literally transferred from an old kingdom—Adam-land—to the new kingdom of Christ and given new desires and desires to live for our new King (Colossians 1:13; Romans 6:4). The Bible assures us that this new identity cannot be removed, and that we are secure as newly adopted daughters and sons of the King (Romans 8:15-17).

But what if the ruler of the previous kingdom—the kingdom of darkness—sends messages contrary to God’s messages about our new identity? What happens if we choose to believe those lies? In the same way that we begin to live out Gospel truth, we can, in a lesser and temporary sense, begin to live out a false identity if we choose to listen to and believe false information about God, ourselves, and others.

Here’s how it works: maybe we go through a series of difficult trials, hurts, and disappointments. Through this, we are asking God for answers and help, but not seeing definite results. Thoughts begin to emerge and we wonder if things will improve, if God is really with us, and if He will come through. We begin to doubt if we are really that different than we were before, and if we can handle the stress of these trials if they continue. Slowly, we start to believe small lies like “I need more than I have to get through this,” “God doesn’t care,” and "I've got to figure this out on my own." With these lies come the foundations of a new, alternate identity. We’ve shifted from a position of trust in what God says about us and Himself to believing what our feelings and circumstances say (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:9).

The Greater Reality

We look at the things around us—our homes, nature, and the world—and conclude that what we see and experience is the greatest form of reality and constitutes our real identity. In addition, our flesh, the world system and Satan are constantly trying to tell us that God and His invisible truths are illusory. But the Bible says this is not true (2 Corinthians 4:18). In an instant, everything we consider reliable in the world can shift and be destroyed, including health, finances, and relationships. It is an illusion to believe these things are more stable or can sustain us better than the reality that God tells us is true in His Word. Thus, two definitions of what is true and what is illusory are at battle, because there are two kingdoms at war—the domain of darkness and the kingdom of our Father’s beloved Son.

The flesh and Satan’s demons continually tell us that God’s truth and the new identity we have in Christ are an illusion. On the other hand, the Lord describes all the riches we have in Christ. The two are antithetical. For example, God says our life is now hidden with Christ in God, and Christ is our life. Yet the whole culture surrounding us screams that this description of our identity and riches in Christ is false, and that true identity is found in that which we handle, see, and hear. 

We may not feel it, but God’s description of our identity is more real than anything in this universe that our senses perceive and our emotions feel. We walk by faith, not by sight. Since this is true, it’s vital to know God’s truth so that we can discern the lies we are tempted to believe. Here are a few that impact our lives, along with God’s promises, which we can stand on.

Three Key Lies

“I am not complete.”

This is the serpent’s lie in the Garden, tempting Adam and Eve to seek transcendence through special wisdom and knowledge that would make them whole (Genesis 3:1–6). Yet they were already complete in their relationship with God. As those who are now in Christ, the Bible says we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). That means that though we are sinful, broken, and lacking perfection in our flesh—in everything from our intellect to physical strength and ability—Christ has given us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and made us spiritually alive and whole through union with Him. Now, we live as those who fully measure up in Christ because of His sufficiency, not our own.

As we trust this, we can go out each day from a place of fullness so that His living waters flow from us (John 7:38), rather than going out seeking validation, acceptance, and completion through what we do, know, or accomplish. If we believe the lie that we are incomplete, we will live in an entirely different identity than what Christ has given us, and instead of bearing good fruit, we will bear the bitter fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:22–23).

“I am alone.”

Another lie is that we are alone—that God is not with us on a practical level. Adam and Eve likely gave in to this deception, forgetting about God’s nearness and His faithfulness. If they had trusted that the Lord was with them and was not withholding any good, in their moment of temptation, they would have called out to Him as their ever-present help and protector (Psalm 46:1). In response, the Lord Himself would have driven out the wicked one.

The wonderful reality is that He has given believers His Holy Spirit, our Helper and Advocate, to dwell within us, sealing us to Himself eternally (John 14:26; Ephesians 1:14). We are never alone and never will be! He promises, “I am with you always even to the end i of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

If we truly trust that God is with us and helping us, we will live at peace, walk in his wisdom and wait for Him, rather than turning to idols for support when life doesn’t work out the way we want (Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:6-7).

“I must protect and defend myself.”

When we believe the lie that we’re not complete in Christ and that we are alone, we will inevitably think that we have to protect and defend ourselves to flourish and remain safe. This puts us in both an offensive and defensive position that eventually exhausts us—leaving us to discern all danger, form strategies to evade it, fight the enemy, and protect ourselves (Ephesians 6:12).

In a sense, we become our own god, trying to validate our worth through striving and contending, then seeking to protect ourselves from danger by either fight or flight. Adam and Eve did this after eating from the forbidden tree, as they hid from God to defend themselves and put together fig leaves to cover their shame. The same is true for us. All our strategies to guard ourselves from shame, pain, and evil are like flimsy fig leaf coverings that cannot protect us. But if we trust in the Lord’s protection and actively put ourselves under His care, He will fulfill His promises.

Returning to our True Identity

The way back to living in our true identity is often easier to trace once we’ve recognized the lies we’re believing. Dissatisfied with the chaotic static of our misplaced identity, we begin to hear God clearly beckoning us to return to Him and the truth to find freedom and flourishing (John 8:32). This begins by actively turning our eyes and ears back to His unchanging Word, acknowledging that despite how we feel or what we sense in this ever-changing physical world, His Word is true, and every creature is a liar (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 3:4). Because of His gift of faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Peter 1:1), we can renounce the lies of our flesh, the world, and Satan, and embrace God’s inerrant, infallible Word with complete trust that we are complete and qualified in Christ (Colossians 2:10). He will never leave or forsake us and is fighting on our behalf.

By putting our complete confidence in Him, we can rest in the assurance that He is in charge, upholding us with His powerful right hand and that the battle belongs to the Lord – not us (Exodus 14:14; Isaiah 41:10). As we do this, we begin to live from a place of rest, just as God promised in Hebrews: “for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10). We no longer need to strive to prove, defend, or complete ourselves, because the one who is our very life has already made us whole (Colossians 3:3–4). We don’t have to live as those who are orphans, since we rest in our Father’s care. And we do not need to be hyper-alert, with an adrenaline surge and cortisol explosion, because our Father is the sovereign ruler over all the details of life—just as Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34.

The battle for our identity is essentially a battle for our fully persuaded trust. Will we trust the voice of our loving Lord or the lies of th world, the flesh and the deceiver? Every day, we are free to live as those who are secure in Christ. The more we learn to stand on this reality, the more the illusions of our flesh and the world begin to fade. The truth becomes clear—we are his chosen, adopted, beloved, holy children who are not only complete but secure in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-5; Colossians 3:12).

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1-2)

God's Promises for Tomorrow's "What-Ifs"

What if?... Fear often comes with “what ifs” and vain speculation about the future. One example from the Bible that comes to mind when I think of this is when Jesus told Peter about his certain death. On hearing this, Peter began wondering about how John would also die. Rather than join him in this future speculation, Jesus told him not to be concerned about John. Instead, He wanted Peter to focus on counting the cost of his service to Christ and trusting Him.

Jesus rarely foretold personal details, but when He did, it was always to prepare His followers for trials or to point them to the sovereignty of God. When Jesus predicted the hardships His disciples would go through for the sake of the Gospel as He was sending them out in Matthew 10, He exhorted them not to be afraid because He would be with them—to rescue, deliver, embolden, and give them the words they needed when they stood before rulers and councils. He explained that as the sovereign Lord He was in charge of even a sparrow falling to the ground and had numbered their very hairs, saying, “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30–31).

The pattern of Jesus’ life and teaching was consistent with Scripture’s command not to look anxiously into tomorrow. He told the disciples, “Do not worry about tomorrow, what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear. Tomorrow has enough worries of its own” (Matthew 6:34). In a similar way, Paul in Philippians commands us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

So why worry?

We are often lured into the “what ifs” by the desire to have a better understanding of what will happen. From the time we are young, we are taught problem-solving skills that help us plan for the future and avoid danger. We learn consequential thinking—“if this, then that”—to determine outcomes. We’re also taught to plan ahead, which requires some speculation about what might happen. In addition to this, we are wired in the flesh to seek to be in control, rather than to surrender our future to the Lord. By trying to predict what will happen, we fool ourselves into thinking that we are able, through reasoning, planning, and strategizing, to gain the wisdom and knowledge needed to shape our future. Instead, we often end up gripped by fear if our view of tomorrow looks bleak -- or clothed in pride if it looks promising.

While God commands us to be wise in planning for the future and exhorts us that a “wise man sees the danger and hides himself from it" (Proverbs 22:3), He never gives us license to either worry about or put our hope in our future circumstances. As we make diligent plans, we’re called to surrender them to Him and keep our hope in Christ, who alone knows our future.

How do we live in the tension of tomorrow without allowing “what ifs” to destroy our peace?

The apostle Paul leaves an example for us to follow when he acknowledges the brevity and uncertainty of his own future, declaring, “If I live, I live for Christ; if I die, I die for Christ. Whether I live or die, I belong to Christ.” Paul starts with the greatest point of anxiety—losing his very life—and makes a faith declaration that even in death, he is confident and at peace because he belongs to Christ. He recognizes that God alone has numbered his days.

Like Paul, once we settle the greatest “what if,” death itself, then we can move to the lesser “what ifs.” What if I have financial hardship? What if my health fails? What if my marriage doesn’t make it? What if my children aren’t healthy? Like Paul with life and death, we need to have a settled response for each of these based on our trust and confidence in the Father’s good plans for us and His promises.

The Bible makes it clear that “the secret things belong to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 29:29). When these questions come, we can answer: “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but God knows. He has gone before me, numbered my days, and promised that every hardship must first pass through His loving hands. He’s guaranteed that He’ll be with me, take care of me, give me wisdom, and strengthen me for every trial I face, giving me all that I need to flourish and live for His glory.”

We can take these “what ifs” and lay them at the foot of the cross under the promises of God, which is where they belong. As we see them in their rightful place under the kind jurisdiction of our loving Father, who tenderly cares for us, we are free to set our gaze on Christ and all of His promises.

Our Father has said that He’s come to give us an abundant life, overflowing with thankfulness and the fruit of the Spirit—among which are joy and peace. As Paul reminds us in Romans, they flow out of our lives as we trust in Christ—that He is who He says He is and will do all that He promises to do. When we trust Him and do this, we will find that every “what if” has its answer in Christ. As we rest in Him and His sovereign care, tomorrow’s uncertainties lose their power, and we are freed to live in His peace. “And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

A Gravestone and an Empty Tomb

Something radical, life-transforming, and supernatural happened to me in April 1988. The Spirit of the living God—the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead—came upon me and sealed me eternally to God in Christ. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1, the Spirit is given “as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” That day brought new life, forgiveness, adoption, redemption, hope, and the fruit of the Spirit. But it also brought a gravestone – the death of slavery to sin, Satan, and the rule of my flesh. Like a gravestone marking a burial, this marked the death of my old self and the beginning of my new life in Christ.

When we come to Christ through repentant faith in His finished work on the cross, death and new life occur simultaneously: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). Paul echoes this reality in Colossians 3:3: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” In Galatians 2:20 he explains, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

As those who have died to sin (Romans 6:2), we are released from its power and are free to live and walk in the Spirit. For 24 years, my sinful nature ruled me, but through the atoning blood of Christ and His resurrection it was rendered powerless (Romans 6:6). As a result, my allegiance is no longer to Satan or the flesh but to the Father, the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of God: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14). The Spirit assures us daily of our adoption (Romans 8:15–16) and that we are “co-heirs with Christ” as we share in His sufferings (Romans 8:17).

Paul emphasizes this doctrine because it is integral to the Christian faith. We must know and trust that our death to sin and resurrection with Christ are both present and future realities. Why? Because trusting Christ’s finished work and our new identity in Him is the foundation that prepares us to begin putting off the works of the flesh and putting on His righteousness, so that we can bear fruit for His glory. 

If we try to produce righteousness in our own strength, we will always fail. But when we learn to live by faith in His promises in union with Him, we are enabled to walk in newness of life. Paul exhorts us in Romans 6:13: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.” In Colossians 3:5–18, he provides details of the sin we are to put off, in the Spirit’s power, along with the righteousness we are now called to live in. He uses strong language like “put to death” and “rid yourselves of” to describe how actively we are to resist the desires of the flesh. He then instructs us in the Spirit’s power to “clothe ourselves” and to “put on” the very character and nature of Christ—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).

Is it that simple?

If you’re anything like me, you’re wondering, “Is it really that simple?” The answer is both yes and no. Paul is not implying that understanding our union with Christ solves all spiritual struggles or negates the need to daily “put to death the misdeeds of the body”(Romans 8:13), which he shows is essential for eternal life. Instead, he’s showing that the resurrection power to live righteously is closely connected to understanding and trusting our new identity in Christ (Romans 6:11). As theologian Sinclair Ferguson writes, Paul knows that, “Our who determines our do.” He is clear that while we’re still tempted to sin and struggle, sin no longer has the right to reign over our lives. About this he declares, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). 

We have died with Christ to the law through His perfect obedience on our behalf. He now calls us to fulfill the law of love, not by our human works, but by grace, as we trust in His righteousness imputed to us. The indwelling Spirit enables us to do this – to live and walk in righteousness, holiness and truth like Jesus did (Romans 8:11; 1 John 2:6). “If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). In Romans 8:4, Paul shows that “the righteousness the law describes is fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

After wrestling to embrace and understand these truths for many years, I’ve come to realize that they are not abstract doctrines but essential for spiritual growth and flourishing in the Christian life. The patterns of the flesh still daily seek to control us (Romans 7:21), but by faith in Christ’s finished work, we can learn to walk in the Spirit and increasingly put to death the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13). 

This gravestone over my sinful flesh is much more than a metaphor. It is a daily reminder of the transforming power of the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus Christ in me. The death to sin I experienced in 1988 was not a one-time event but an ongoing reality I embrace each day. By faith, I am empowered to live more and more in the freedom of the Spirit, bearing fruit and walking in victory over sin—not by my strength, but by the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead and now lives in me: “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3-8).