Part 4- Identity Theft Bible Study

Reclaim your identity

In our last post, Part 4, we discussed how spiritual identity theft can occur during difficult trials in our lives. These situations can lead to stress, PTSD, and chronic anxiety that can manifest in many different physical ways. Are there any physical symptoms that you currently struggle with in your life that you have attributed to stress?

Not only does stress manifest in physical ways, but these painful situations can hijack us from understanding who we are. It can leave us with the identity of a victim.

There was a situation where I had severe back and pelvic floor pain due to a problem after a routine procedure. It was so severe that I could not walk for three weeks. The regular rhythms of our household came screeching to a halt, causing much difficulty to the family because I was in bed. I was desperate to see the physical therapist, but she was not available until a month after the initial injury. When I saw her, I was able to get the relief that I needed to start to heal. She had told me that my body had to recover from the initial trauma of the procedure before the healing of the muscle spasms could commence.

When you are in the initial trauma phase of your situation, it is not whether your identity is of Christ or as a victim. You truly are a victim of your circumstances, with genuine, real feelings of anxiety, pain, and grief.  The first stage of the trauma needs to be complete before the second stage of healing can begin.

First Stage of Healing

There are many types of difficult situations or storms you can be involved in, spiritually or physically—fear, broken relationships, grief, debt, unemployment, legal difficulties, and health issues etc. What situations in your life hijacked your identity, leaving you totally broken?

You cannot move on to the second stage of healing until the first stage of the trauma has passed. It is like trying to build your house in the middle of a Category Five hurricane. It is just not physically possible when you are going through the initial storm itself. It is what you have already built that will be tested in the storm.

When you identify that you are in a category five trial, your game plan is

1) Cry out to Jesus- hiding in the strong tower of his name (Prov 18:10).

2) Seek out your support from the people you trust most.

3) Read the Psalms and other passages to renew your mind continually.

4) Hold onto God’s promises.

Read Isaiah 53:3, Matthew 8:20, and Matthew 4:1-2. Whom are the passages referring to? What feelings do you relate to that were described in these passages? Jesus lived a perfect life, yet he was despised, rejected by men, tempted, familiar with grief, and He suffered. Does living a perfect life bring only blessings? Do you think Jesus understands what you are going through? Read Hebrews 4:14-16.

What is the Holy Spirit doing for us right now in heaven? Read Romans 8:26-27.

Cry out to Jesus, for he loves you and is the High Priest who is interceding on your behalf as you go through this trial. When we are in Christ, we can boldly go before the throne of grace, confident that God will help us in our time of need.

In an interview with Rick Warren, after his son had committed suicide. He said, “I did not see anyone or do any work for 16 weeks- 4 months. In this time, I was either with my wife or sought out the Lord.” He continued by saying, “If I hadn't had my small group for support, I don’t think I would still be doing ministry today.” (Rick Warren Testimony) Rick Warren had built up his support system before the crisis had occurred, and it was through that structure in God and in his surrounding Christian support that he was able to weather this type of storm in his life.

The Second Stage of Healing

In my own story, when I met with the counselor, it was 4 months after the miscarriage. The initial storm had passed, but it continued to rage within my mind, body, and soul. It is as if a person, after a storm, were stuck in a bunker and would not come out, for fear that the storm was still present, continually reliving the trauma in their minds.

In the second stage of my physical healing, my physical therapist was able to do exercises with me to relieve physical pain. The second stage of emotional healing includes our community to help us work through the trauma that we have experienced.

Read James 5:14-16. How was the sick person healed? (v16) Was the sick person alone in the healing process? Prayer and Community are vital to the second stage of healing.

An Exercise in Reclaiming Identity

To understand this activity, we need a biblical basis.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. Another word we could use for “evaluating” in vs 16 is to identify. When we believe in Christ, how are we evaluated/identified? What are the old things that have passed away? (Eph 4:17-22), What are the new things that have come? (Eph 4:23-24)

How does God perceive our identity and good works (our righteousness) without Jesus? Read Isaiah 64:6.

Read Ephesians 1:5-8. When we looked at the words dedicated to what God has done for us, they are action words: decided in advance, gave him great pleasure, grace he has poured out, and showered his kindness. Does this sound like a God who is angered or distant to those who are his children?

What is our identity in Christ?

When God sees us, he no longer sees our sin, but sees Jesus’ righteousness given to us. (2 Cor 5:21)

Putting off the Old and Putting on the New

Read Zechariah 3:3-4. We are going to be like Zechariah. Either imagine or draw a cross. Then depict yourself in filthy clothes. This is our identity without Jesus. If we are in Christ and we go through a traumatic experience, sometimes, we can have the perception of our clothes being dirty. Yet, God desires for us to see ourselves the way in which he sees us. When we submit our dirty clothes to the cross, we can relinquish our clothes as a pauper and gain the clothes of a princess.

Now imagine or draw you taking off the dirty clothes and hanging them on the cross, and we can pray, God, help me to see myself the way that you see me.  Jesus is there with a beautiful white dress. Take the new dress Jesus gave you and put it on. Jesus says, “When others mistreat you [or circumstances devastate you], remember this: I freely forgive all your sins. I clothe you in shining robes of righteousness bought with my own blood… it is the amazing gift of my grace.” (Young)

Isaiah 61:10 (NASB) I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

It is my prayer that if you feel like the person stuck in the bunker, you will partner with Jesus and others to take your hand as you walk into the light, you are identity is that as heir to the throne, daughter to the King of the Universe.

References:

Rick Warren Testimony: My Son Matthew’s Suicide & How Ministry Flows From Deep Pain | Praise on TBN. Directed by Praise on TBN, 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCUbog65dP4.

Young, Sarah. Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions For Kids. Tommy Nelson, 2010.