Our Identity in Christ

By Kenneth W. Hagin

One of the most important revelations we can get from the Word of God is to understand who we are in Christ.
Identifying with Christ will change the way we live and cause us to rise above adversity. But not understanding our identity in Him will keep us living far below our rights and privileges in Christ.

New ID
When you identify with Christ, God gives you a new identity.
Instead of “sinner,” you are now called “Christian.”
Instead of “lost,” you are called “found.”
Instead of “enemy,” you are called “friend.”
Instead of “unrighteous,” you are called “righteous.”
Instead of “sick,” you are called “healed.”
Instead of “poor,” you are called “rich.”
When you understand your new identity in Christ, you’ll be a stronger and more stable Christian. Your faith will work for you better, your prayer life will be enhanced, and you’ll walk in a new level of authority.

What does it mean to identify with Christ? It’s normal for us to identify with something or someone; it makes us feel connected. Whether we identify with a person, organization, occupation, race, nationality, or church, identifying with them gives us a feeling of belonging. In the natural realm, we identify with people, places, and things. But we also have an identity in the spirit realm. The Scriptures say we have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20). And not only did we die with Him on the Cross of Calvary, we also have been raised with Him. We can see that in these verses.

EPHESIANS 2:4–7 (NKJV)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

According to this passage of Scripture, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Unfortunately, some Christians are having an identity crisis. They don’t know who they are in Christ or where they are seated. Instead of identifying with Christ, they are identifying with the problems they are confronted with. You can tell they do this because they call themselves by their problems: divorced, bankrupt, and so forth. Others identify with a profession. They say things like, “I’m a salesman,” or “I’m a lawyer.” But their profession is not who they are; it’s what they do. When we really understand our identification in Christ—who we are in Him—it will change the way we think and live. Second Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” That same verse in The Living Bible says, “When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun!” Before we were in Christ, we were destined for death and destruction. Now we are destined for eternal life (1 John 2:25). Before Christ, we were destined for despair, degradation, and poverty. But in Christ, we are destined to have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). In Christ is where our identity should be. It’s in Jesus that we are somebody!

Did you ever notice in the Scriptures that God often changed people’s identities? They looked at themselves one way, but God told them who they really were. This is what happened to Gideon. Gideon was so terrified of the Midianites that he hid inside of a winepress to thresh his wheat. He believed the Midianites would take what little he had if they saw him threshing wheat (Judges 6:1–11). One day the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12 NIV). Gideon was acting like anything but a mighty warrior. But when Gideon finally saw himself the way God saw him, he went on to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites (Judges 7:1–25). God also changed Abram’s name. In the natural it was impossible for Abram and Sarai to have children. But God said, “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5 NIV). He also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah (Gen. 17:15). God’s Words were fulfilled when Sarah gave birth to Isaac. God calls those things that are not as though they were (Rom. 4:17). In the natural realm, what God is calling us may not exist. But in His eyes, it does. So we need to talk about ourselves the same way God does. What God says about us is found in His Word. Here are some things we are and have in Christ:

» We are new creatures.
(2 Cor. 5:17)
» We are the righteousness of God.
(2 Cor. 5:21)
» We’ve been healed.
(1 Peter 2:24)
» We’ve been made rich.
(2 Cor. 8:9)
» We are accepted.
(Eph. 1:6 KJV)
» We are free from sin.
(Rom. 6:20–22)

Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” I like to say that verse like this: “Yea, though I walk through all of the mess that the devil tries to put on me, I will fear no evil. Through my identification in Christ, I can walk on scorpions and not be harmed. I can walk on anything that tries to get in my way and come out victoriously.” It’s time for us to stand up and be who God says we are. And we need to let the devil know that we know who we are in Christ. Then anytime he tries to attack us, we can throw our shoulders back and say, “Don’t mess with me. I’m identified with Christ!”