Glorious Weakness By Alia JoyMuestra

The Hope of Identity

In the desert, we are introduced to terrible lies and mighty doubts. We become the great pretenders, or we become who we were always meant to be. Unashamed. No one remains unchanged in the wilderness. Jesus knew the landscape of the desert too. 

What nourishes us when confronted with doubt in the desert? Jesus knew the voices of doubt and temptation would come for Him just as they do for us. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God . . .” The first attack was on Jesus’ identity and relationship with the Father, not on His hunger. “Tell these stones to become bread” followed (Matt. 4:3). But the great temptation of Jesus started from another front: Are you who you say you are? Can you trust your Father? 

Jesus modeled full identity, strength, and power by surrendering to unfathomable weakness, even unto death. But the Son knew His Father and when Satan whispered in His ear, Jesus offered us a ransom of words—the original language of hope stayed fluent on His tongue.

Jesus knows the voices we face, and His promise to send a Comforter anticipates that our lives will be filled with grief and sorrow, with desert wanderings and ever-present weakness. Why would we need a Comforter unless He knew we would need comforting? Jesus says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26 NIV).

Jesus promises we will not go into the wilderness alone. We will not be left hungry. We have a Counselor to defend us. A Comforter to tend to us. We have a language of hope that speaks truth to us and calls us out of the desert, changed forever. 

If all warfare is based on deception, truth is the weapon to fight against the lies. The balm for our scars. To flourish in relationship, we need a bridge of truth to connect us. The cross is the greatest truth we have. The antidote for the lies that come for us is our true identity as beloved. The cross tells us the truth. I don’t know of a fiercer love than this: while we were sinners, Christ died for us. We are not shamed or self-satisfied; we are saved. 

What lie does the tempter like to snare you with? What truth from Scripture might counter that lie?