The halls of Alcoholics Anonymous are filled with desperate addicts seeking hope. They begin every meeting with, “Hi, I’m ____, and I’m an alcoholic.” This is a way to keep the addict openly confessional and never losing sight of the humility that keeps him in recovery. It is a great and very needed method within AA.
But, in the halls of His Way, we have a very different confession. Instead of the constant reminder of our past failures, we focus on our new identity in Christ, and tether ourselves to our solution, not our problem. So, our meetings are filled with, “Hi, I’m ____, and I’m a new creation in Christ.”
The reality is key to defeating sin. Satan came at Jesus three times in the wilderness challenging Him to sin by proving His identity through some miraculous stunt. “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 5:3-11). Jesus simply defeated Satan’s efforts with citation of scripture. As Satan tried to break Him down, Jesus was fortified with one clear truth that He received from heaven some 40 days previously. As Jesus rose up from the waters of the Jordan, God spoke announcing to the world, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17). These words were the resonating confidence that allowed Jesus to fight off Satan.
Satan will use self-doubt and insecurity to tempt us to prove ourselves. To guard ourselves from falling victim to his devices, we must claim the promise Jesus claimed by announcing that, “I am God’s child.”
Let’s enter into the halls of victory claiming God’s promise, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20)
Tom Reynolds