"He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! [...] Then the tempter approached Him and said, 'If You are the Son of God...'" Matthew 3:16-17, 4:3
Who am I? What are we doing here? Am I even doing this right? I think these are the questions that swirl around in our heads when we finally take a moment to be still. That moment when your head is on the pillow but you're just laying there. All the questions you've pushed to the back of your mind start to resurface. It's like the pillow is pushing them up as they rise to the surface and can no longer be ignored.
Lately I've been in that Matthew passage because we're in a season of Lent and talking about the desert. But what I got out of it, more so than the powerful refining process of the desert, was the subject of identity. I think both God and Satan are very intentional in their words and their timing. God affirms His Son and announces His identity to the world in that moment. Not only does He affirm this identity, but He reminds Jesus that He takes delight in Him. This is a pivotal moment not only in the messianic narrative, but in our own narratives as well.
And Satan has 40 days to craft a plan. It is no coincidence that the first thing Satan does is question Jesus' identity. "If you really are the Son of God..." It is a direct assault on everything The Lord has so purposefully affirmed. These are the questions that arise when we start to doubt what we've heard only 40 days before. Did God really say that? Am I good enough? What if I made the wrong decision? And thus the foundation of our confidence in the One who affirmed us begins to crumble. It is not the first time Satan has pulled this stunt. We've seen the first time he targets confidence. In the garden God says not to eat the tree and Satan swoops in right behind Him to say "Did God really say that?" Thus we see the fall of man. Identity is questioned and Eve responds with her interpretation of God's command. Jesus withstands the assault on His identity by being confident in the Word.
You have been called to a specific purpose and The Lord has affirmed that in you. You are being affirmed same way that Jesus was in His ministry. Maybe ministry looks like hanging out with high school kids in the lunch room. Maybe its your high school soccer team. Maybe its loving on leaders or organizing camp trips. No matter what, rest assured that your identity is in Christ. He has called you and affirmed you in ministry that glorifies Him. Listen to His voice as He whispers these things to you. Ingrain the Word on your heart to stand strong against Satan's identity attack. You really are the child of God. There are no if's about it.
