Take Up Your CrossSample

Who are You?

In the 1970s classic Kung Fu movie Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee receives a challenge to a series of fights. During one challenge, Lee’s opponent tries to intimidate him by breaking a board. Lee calmly replies, “Boards don’t hit back.”

That wasn’t the reaction that his opponent had hoped for. He wanted to taunt Lee into proving his strength and perhaps even find a weakness in the process, but it didn’t work. The problem was that Bruce Lee knew he could break a board. There was no need for him to engage in such a petty display. Through his refusal to perform simple tricks, he displayed confidence in who he was.

In a way, this scene is similar to what happened to Jesus in the wilderness. The devil taunted Him and challenged Him to “command this stone to become bread” (Luke 4:3). From an outside point of view, this might seem like an impressive test of Jesus’ power, but when you consider that John 1:3 tells us, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made,” it seems as silly as Bruce Lee breaking a board. Jesus knew that he could do it. It wasn’t so much a test of Jesus’ ability as it was a test of His trust in the Father. So He simply answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’” (Luke 4:4).

Satan’s loves to make us doubt God.

In the garden, Satan asked Eve, “Did God really say …?” (Genesis 3:1). He wanted Eve to question whether God was trustworthy. With his question to Jesus, Satan was essentially asking, “Did God really say you were His Son? How do you know that you can trust Him? Maybe you’ve waited for God long enough. Maybe it’s time to take matters into your own hands.”

Satan has been using the same technique since the dawn of man. Like a snake, he sneaks up on us when we’re at our lowest point and taunts us with seeds of doubt.

Even though Jesus was tired and hungry in the wilderness, He had complete trust in God. If you know who you are, and you trust in who you belong to (God), then you’ll be in a much better position to stand firm against Satan’s taunts.

What lie is Satan whispering into your ears? What truth about God can you hold onto?

For more on understanding your identity read, “The Midlife Question: Who Am I?” on FamilyLife.com.