YOUR DEFENCE IS YOUR IDENTITY
I was with a dear brother. We were having a private conversation over dinner at a hotel restaurant. While eating, three ladies wearing sequins (shiny apparel) with apparent slits approached our table and said, “We are offering free wine tonight”.
The beloved one with me looked up and said, “We are pastors”. That ended the conversation. They left immediately. He then turned to me and said, “Pastor, this is not free wine. There is more.” I sighed and we continued our conversation.
Your identity is a defence. If you do not know who you are and you do not live at the level of whom God has ordained you to be, you can end up as piecemeal for the devil and his tricks.
Don’t disguise! King Ahab removed his royal robes and went to war like every other soldier. It was a random arrow from the enemy that hit and killed him. Jehoshaphat went to the same battle with his Kingly robes. He was a prime target but the enemy turned and left him alone.
Don’t disguise. When you disguise yourself, compromise becomes easy. When King Saul wanted to consult a medium, he went in disguise.
I know the gospel of “let your results show you are a believer” is loud. But please listen, for Daniel, it was not just the result, it was also the character and his refusal to disguise. Everyone knew that he had hours of prayer. Everyone knew Daniel “carried Jehovah on his head.”
The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniel’s life that they could use against him, but they couldn’t dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. So, they finally gave up and said, “We’re never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can scheme up something religious.”
(Daniel 6:4 – 5 MSG)
Do not crave smooth talk. Be hungry for what is right. It can sound smooth but still not right. Hear Prophet Isaiah:
that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy receipts…(Isaiah 30:9 – 10 KJV)
If your colleague at work is having issues, be bold in telling them Jesus can do it. If they are brokenhearted, Jesus can heal them. If they are held captive, Jesus can save them. You are not a motivational speaker, you are God’s ambassador. Motivation is needed in life but every child of God needs to ensure that motivation does not replace the Word.
Motivation cannot divide the Jordan River. Motivation cannot bring the wall of Jericho down. Motivation cannot catch the revelation that walking around Jericho is the key to taking the city. Do not disguise!
Salt may not be obvious but its identity is not in doubt. Yeast may not be visible but its presence in a dough cannot be doubted. Do not disguise.
Do you know that the question that the seven sons of Sceva could not answer was “Who are you?” They were thoroughly dealt with.
Your identity and understanding of it determine what or who you attract. There are things they will never suggest to you because your identity is not shrouded in disguise. Can you imagine Daniel out to the bar? Or can you imagine the fashion designer of Mary telling her to dress with her cleavage exposed? Who are you?
Are you aware of your identity in Christ? Do you know who you are? Stop disguising!