Identity theft has generated a lot of attention over the last several years. A variety of products are offered everyday to assist you with protecting your identity. The constant message is: You must be intentional to keep scammers and criminals out of your personal information. I’ve purchased one of these products myself and at least one red flag has popped up advising me that my identity has been compromised and I’ve taken intentional action to close that risk.

To be a Christian is an IDENTITY as well. It’s who you are, not just what you do. And there are things that put our IN Christ identity at risk:

• False teaching. Anything that adds to or takes away from the person and work of Christ.
• Hypocrisy. Living with a gap between what we know we’re meant to and supposed to be IN Christ and what we really are.
• Sinful habits. What you do everyday is what you’re becoming. Secret identities are always exposed. And the IN Christ identity is all or nothing (Col 3;11).

And just as it may be necessary to protect your physical and digital identities, it is definitely necessary to protect your SPIRITUAL identity. In Colossians 3, Paul gives us some protection tips:

1. Know your identity – “if you have been raised with Christ…” Col. 3:1. If you are a Christian, it’s more than just what you do on Sunday. “Christ is all and in all” 3:11. If you’ve identified your life in Christ there is effects that will be coming out everyday. New desires. New identity traits. A new trust outside of self. And a new desire to be identified only in Him in every area of your life. Is that true of you?
2. Live with Intentionality – “seek what is above… Set your minds on what is above…” Col 3:2. We don’t just accidentally slip into spiritual maturity. God has given us tools and open doors to dive deeper into our identity. Seeking and setting takes intentionality. And part of the work of his spirit is to give us a passion to be where he is. What are you seeking? What are you setting your mind upon?
3. Fight for your Identity – “put to death what belongs to your worldly nature…” Col 3:5. The temptations in this world do not end for us until we leave this world. We need extreme measures to protect our hearts identity in Christ. Putting something to death is violent, extreme, final. Do you have that kind of attitude toward the world and sin? That, “I’ll get rid of anything that threatens my relationships with Christ and my identity in Christ” kind of attitude?

And we are not alone in this fight. Today, for those who are in Christ, we have an Identity protector at work for us in Jesus himself. The Bible says that we can never be taken from His hand and that he is interceding for us and that He never leaves us or forsakes us. Our identity cost Him his life. Your identity was worth a lot to Him. What’s it worth to you?