Matthew starts the story of Jesus' ministry by talking about his baptism.
Jesus goes out to John the Baptist and has John baptize him in the Jordan. Matthew describes the Holy Spirit falling on Jesus and a voice from heaven: "This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased."
The Holy Spirit then leads Jesus into the wilderness where he fasts and prays for forty days and then is tempted three times by Satan.
What's critical to note in those temptations that the first two temptations start by attempting to shake Jesus' confidence in the voice he had heard forty days earlier at his baptism. Twice Satan leads into the temptation with "if you are the Son of God..."
It seems to me that the questioning of our identity is at the core of our battles against sin and temptation, though we don't perceive it as such.
The most important battles are not primarily about activities as such, i.e. "should I hit that web site again?" The loudest lies we battle are about who we are: am I loved? am I beautiful? am I significant? am I cared for or is it up to me get my needs met? am I valued by anyone?
Jesus fights these same battles. And he wins not only for himself but for us, too. He does not capitulate to the lies. He holds true to the voice that he has heard from his Father. And he invites us to do the same in his strength, to appropriate his victory for our lives, to claim his victory for ourselves.
Jesus is in us. We are in him. That's not just theory, it matters in real-time, right now, as we navigate conflict with friends or family, make decisions about our futures, pay bills, surf the internet, work, take care of kids, plan summer vacations. His victory gives us victory over the lies that make us forget or question our own beloved-ness.
The most significant battles in our souls are not about our activity but about our identity. Satan attempts to shake it with Jesus as with us. He fails with Jesus. By Jesus power and victory, we, too, can begin to have victory over these same lies.
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