Retreat recap – Main session on the banks of the river.

There is an attack on your identity. Who you really are, who you were created to be, and how God sees you is the target of the enemy of your soul.

All good comes under attack. Who you are created to be is good. Now, who you are us under attack.

The temptation of Jesus was an attempt to steal his identity.

Luke 4: 1-13

Then Jesus, full of the Holy spirit, returned from the Jordan River. (What had just happened at the Jordan River – he was baptized.) He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.'”

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “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. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'”

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! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t eve hurt your foot on a stone.”

Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.'”

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

When did the attack happen? After Jesus’ baptism. After a mighty public move of God within his life. And when Jesus was most weak. He was hungry.

Wow – isn’t this exactly how it happens in our lives too? After we make a commitment or after we’ve seen God work, then comes the attack. And the enemy always attacks when we are at our weakest. When we are exhausted. When we are emotional. When we are fragile. When we are insecure. That’s when the enemy pounces.

Satan comes in when Jesus is hungry and weak and attacks his identity. It sounds like this, “Well if you’re really all this, then why can’t you do that.”

Satan starts making an unfair comparison. A comparison that makes us question who we are and what God must think of us.

And let’s be very clear … Satan’s tactics have not changed. He’s still doing the same thing thousands of years later – and he’s doing it to me and you. He’s constantly trying to make you compromise. He’s continually trying to rob you of God’s truth about you and replace it with some cheap imitation that hinges on appearances.

So, what’s the solution for this attack of identity? Look what Jesus did – he stiff armed Satan with the never changing truths of God. Jesus knew what God’s word said.

My sister, if you don’t know what God’s word says, then you will be vulnerable to the twisted suggestions of Satan. There’s only one way to know God’s word – be IN God’s word. You literally have to open it up and read it yourself. His word is alive, it’s like no other word. It will get in you and change you. It will change your heart and your mind. It will change your life.

When you know God’s word, then you know God’s truth. When you know God’s truth, then you won’t be so vulnerable to the suggestions of the devil.

What does your inner voice sound like? You know, that chatter that constantly goes on in your head that no one else can hear, but it’s loud and clear to you. It’s either speaking the truth of God about you, or it’s speaking the twisted suggestions of Satan about you.

What’s it saying?

Is it saying you’re a masterpiece – or is it saying you’re an embarrassment?

Is it saying you’re enough – or is it saying you’re never enough?

Is it saying you’re loved – or you’re unlovable?

Is it saying you’re a miracle – or you’re a mistake?

Is it saying you’re treasured – or you’re trash?

Is it saying you’re forgiven – or you’re to be punished?

Is it saying you’re chosen – or you’re unwanted?

Is it saying you’re known – or is it saying you’re forgotten?

This is the attack on your identity. The enemy of your soul knows if he can replace God’s truth about you with a twisted suggestion that causes you to doubt, causes you to play little, causes you to sit it out, causes you to become defensive, or causes you to become jealous – then you will never rise up and live in the fullness of who God created you to be.

You see, my sister, who God created you to be IS ENOUGH. Who God created you to be is a masterpiece, she is endlessly loved, she is an absolute miracle, she is treasured, she is fully forgiven, she is chosen, and she is known. She’s set apart, called, equipped, valued and wanted. She is made new, she is redeemed, she is restored, she is favored, she is blessed, she is healed, she is whole, she is transformed, she is made perfect. She is gifted, she is appointed, she is free. She is God’s girl, God’s vessel and God’s messenger.

THAT’S YOUR IDENTITY. THAT’S THE TRUTH. THAT’S WHO YOU ARE.

And that’s exactly what the devil so desperately DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW.

So, at retreat, sitting on the banks of that river, each girl was randomly given a gift bag. A bag that had been prayed over. A bag that contained a mirror with a special truth written on it. God’s truth about them.

For the one questioning if she was really still enough – she received ‘YOU ARE ENOUGH.’ (That was me.)

For the one questioning her next steps, she received ‘YOU ARE CALLED.’

For the one questioning her value, she received ‘YOU ARE WORTHY.’

For the one battling the pull of an addiction, she received, ‘YOU ARE FREE.’

Over and over again, God aligned his truth for his girls to overcome the attacks of Satan on their identity.

As they looked in their mirrors, stared at the written truth about them and their own reflections, we played the song ‘The Truth’ by Megan Woods.

You remind me who I am
When I look in the mirror and I’m not so sure
Lord, I don’t wanna listen to the lies anymore
The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies, I belong to You
And that’s the truth
I pray you can feel the power in this moment wherever you’re listening, just as we did sitting on the banks of the river holding our mirrors.

Then, it was time to wash away the dirt from our journey. Did you know that was the very practical meaning of foot washing in the times of Jesus? They wore sandals and traveled by foot on very dry and dusty dirt roads. When you visited someone’s home, they would often wash off your feet upon entry so that you didn’t carry the dirt from your journey inside.

Gosh, I wonder if the dirt from our journey gets inside us sometimes? What we’ve been walking through gets in our hearts and in our heads and God just needs to wash it off.

So, at retreat, we stepped into the flow of that river, and we let God wash our feet. We just let the water run over our feet so the things we had been walking through couldn’t build up on us and get in us. Life is hard, we need our feet washed.

While we were walking in the river, the song “Left It In the River” by Jamie MacDonald played. Listen to these words:

My life was changed
When I stepped into the water
Ain’t seen my chains
Since I gave ’em to the Father
Hallelujah, I’ve been delivered
Where is my guilt?
Where is my shame?
I left it in the river

Maybe what you need to do is find you a river to walk in, Sis. Maybe you need to step into the water and let God take those chains off you. Maybe you need to give it all the to Father – all that guilt – all that shame – all those questions – and just leave it in the river.

God wants to wash our feet on this journey so the dirt doesn’t continue to build up on us. He wants to wash away the lies of the enemy. He wants his girls to know the truth and walk in the truth.

Free.
Healed.
Renewed.
Called.
Chosen.
Whole.
Held.
Made new.
Known.
Special.
Treasured.
Seen.
Loved.

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com