Have you tried to sell something online recently? As soon as you post what you’re selling, you get flooded with requests from people interested not so much in buying your items but in having your phone number. They say they need to verify you are a real person. So they send you a code and want you to send them that code back. In reality, they are trying to hack into your google phone or other accounts. The same thing happens with social media accounts. Many individuals have gone through the painful process of having to recover their google or social media accounts because they were hacked. Maybe you are one of them.
We have all heard the term “hacker,” which puts fear in us. We do not want to have our identity or passwords stolen. We certainly don’t want our bank account information compromised. However, let me put you at ease a little. Most hackers are completely powerless. In fact, some hackers are very lazy. They are often not very smart either, but they are relentless in their efforts. What is it that makes them so successful? It’s not the computers or software tools they use. It is us — people. People easily fall for the traps they provide. They click on links in emails or texts before double-checking the source. In a company or organization, it is said that people are the weakest security link. And this is true because a company can have all the best cyber security systems in place, but it just takes one person to click on a phishing email to put the entire organization at risk.
So, what does this have to do with our Christian experience? Well, there is ‘one’ that is the ultimate hacker. One who wants to steal our identity. One who wants to access our family and, ultimately, each individual and cause damage. This one is Satan, our adversary. He waits for a weak link in our family or personal life to make his move. He is like a “roaring lion… seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
A company can invest in the best cyber security possible, but this does not keep them completely safe. Their people must be trained to identify phishing emails and not click on them. It is the same way with us. We may go to church, we may have all the correct doctrines, and we may think we are safe. Yet, this is far from the truth. While in this world, there is a battle for all of us to fight. The devil is relentless and looks for every possible way to bring us down. He works to find a weak link where he can put thoughts in our head that we are not good enough, that we should be like someone else, or find our value in how we look, what we do, or what we have, instead of who we are in Christ. He wants to take away our identity as Christians.
Who Are We Imitating?
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” This is where we get the well-known principle, “By beholding, we become changed.” What are you beholding? With all the lies and confusion in the world, we must be aware of the dangers. Losing our identity doesn’t happen overnight. Do we spend more time beholding the life of others or the life of Christ? Knowing who we are in Christ and learning to live by principles, is crucial so that we will remain true to ourselves and our convictions no matter what others are doing. Ask yourself these questions, “Who and what am I imitating in my life?” “Am I seeking a deeper Christian identity?” “Or am I slowly losing my Christian identity?”
We are all in a battle for eternity. I have learned that I need to do more praying and less looking around at what others are doing. I also learned that I do not need to change myself to fit into a particular social circle. Little did I know that understanding these lessons through early experiences prepared me for difficulty during my Tech school class. I was bullied for not wanting to compromise my lifestyle choices in order to fit in with the popular group in the class. By God’s grace, I was able to stand for my convictions and, in the end, gain the respect of the bullies. Praise God! I didn’t need to compromise or change to be accepted. I knew who I was in Christ.
Social media has had a significant influence on our identities. I don’t have social media. I don’t condemn it. I think it has its time and place. But it is not a secret that it is very damaging to teens. It is also a tool that Satan often uses for distractions and causing identity issues. Here’s a quick quiz to self-assess your social media usage.
- How has social media changed your spiritual identity?
- As a result of your social media use, are you spending more time or less time in God’s Word and prayer?
- Have you watched videos or seen pictures that you wouldn’t be able to see in the presence of others or holy angels?
- Are you more or less connected, at a personal level, with your family and those around you?
- Are you more inclined to gossip or discuss the lives of others based on what you’ve seen on their social media accounts?
Call to Action
The devil is the ultimate hacker, but he is powerless with Jesus by our side. May our goal in life be to imitate Christ and have our identity grounded deep and firm in the Saviour’s love.
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24-25).
All Scripture taken from the King James Version.
