Should I call myself a child of God, or trauma survivor? Where does my identity lie? Are there strongholds I could pull down?

We’ve talked recently of being set free of trauma (see blog on set free of trauma here), and focusing on good things, and God’s wonderful deeds rather than trauma survival (see this blog here).  Now I want to talk about thinking on who we are, and living in this new creation identity, rather than trauma survivor.  And, what to do when a trauma memory resurfaces.

We are told to know who we are. That we are children of God (from 1 John 3:1), that we are new creations (from 2 Cor 5:17), to remember all that God has done for us, and to live holy.  Scripture says “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, [16] for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 BSB.  If we are continually connecting with a past self, that isn’t our new creation self, we are not living in our identity as children of God, new creations, living holy and remembering the goodness of God. If something keeps coming up, it is okay, just hand it to Jesus.  We get to “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 BSB.  It doesn’t mean we feel guilty or condemned if things come up, that’s our flesh and the enemy causing condemnation.  We get to turn to God who doesn’t condemn, and just continue to cast it on Him, and be set free.  It says there is “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 BSB.   But if we don’t walk according to the spirit, we can condemn ourselves or let the enemy condemn us. But instead, we are going to walk with God, and walk free.

The chains are broken.  You are set free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 BSB.  We all have stories. But that is what they are; stories. God cares, He cares a lot. He catches our tears. But He wants us to receive the freedom He has given us.  And we have these stories. They are not us. We are not the stories. Hold them out. Hand them to Jesus. You may have a page, a chapter, or a whole giant book. Release it. Its not a part of you.  There is no little child in us. We get to have childlike faith. But we are spirit, soul., and body.  There is not other person in there. No small child. We get to be present in our body now, and realize how much God loves us now!

You are a new creation in Christ, free, victorious, more than a conqueror, and Christ leads us always in triumphal procession.  Scripture says: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV.  Therefore, stand in that.  Stand on the solid rock of Christ, and claim and confess what He says about you. Remember that sharing the testimony of the amazing power and grace of God in our life when the enemy came to steal, kill and destroy is helpful and good, but our identity is new creation!

When a negative memory of a trauma comes up, and you are tempted to change your reactions, or how you see yourself, etc, realize that that means there is probably a lie attached to it. The lie or stronghold is that string that makes it be pulled back up.  Sometimes there may be a memory pulled back up to point out something good in it, such as God’s amazing grace. But if it doesn’t resurface in that life-giving way, it most likely has a lie attached to it. Something that is trying to exalt itself against Jesus, and we get to pull it down.  The lie is exalting itself against Jesus, trying to attack God’s nature and character, or our identity as children of God.  We can use the trauma memory coming back up as an opportunity to notice a lie, and tear it down, dismantle it, etc.  The lie is usually in the form of a stronghold, also known as a faulty core belief, or old neural pathway in the brain that needs to be dismantled. 

Sometimes there is just a direct attack with a thought that is not yours from the enemy, but if it pulls up memories from your past, there is some amount of believing or receiving that lie.  We get to “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 BSB.  The enemy wants us to blame God, or at least not blame the enemy, and tear down our belief and understanding about God’s goodness, or at least not let us build it up.  He wants to knock us off the solid rock of Christ.   If we don’t know who God is, and we don’t know our identity, and we don’t realize what the enemy is doing, we don’t stand in our authority and make the enemy leave with his lies. He is the father of lies.  

The enemy is walking around looking whom he may devour, and we cannot be devoured when we keep our eyes on Christ, and dwell with Christ.  Scripture tells us to be sober-minded and alert (from 1 Peter 5:8), and that would be knowing who we are. Standing, with awareness that we have the full armor of God on.  We know that the enemy tries to get us to not know our identity as beloved children of God. It’s what he did to Jesus in the desert.  He tempted Jesus with  “if you are the Son of God” (from Matthew 4:3, etc BSB)…  The enemy was trying to make Jesus forget, or at least doubt his identity as the son of God.  Just like he would want to make us forget that we are children of God, and “the hope of glory” (from Colossians 1:27).  So, every time a trauma memory comes up (or some other memory that was from the enemy trying to steal, kill, and destroy), you can see it as an opportunity to ask the Holy Spirit what lie is connected to that, and destroy it.   “For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. [4] The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 BSB.  Even if you are not sure the lie, since we know that the lies attack God’s nature and character, and your identity, you can just start speaking out and living from the place of child of God, new creation, and this knowing that you have a good and awesome Father.  The truth breaks down lies.

So just start speaking truth.  Truth is the foundational piece of the armor of Christ. We get to gird our waist with truth (from Ephesians 6:14).  It is armor against lies.  And the darkness cannot overcome the light (from John 1:5).  You don’t have to even stare at the lies that connect you to those past memories.  If you can’t see the lie, great, shine a light on it, and pull it down, demolish it. But if you can’t find it, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you. He can do it so gently.  And then just turn your eyes to truth. Wash yourself in the water of the word. Remember all God’s wonderous works, over others, like the parting of the red sea, the protection of Jehoshaphat and Judah from 2 Chronicles 20, Jesus dying on the cross for us while we were still sinners, and on and on.  Focus on the fact that you are his beloved child. 

Remember that what we want to focus on is now, and knowing Christ.  Paul said “But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” Philippians 3:7-8 BSB.  The past is over. We can take the good, and glorify God for setting us free, and walk forward, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith!

We are all loved by God, we are all God’s creation, but we are only a child of God, adopted by Him, if we choose that.  He does not force us.  So if you have made Jesus Lord and savior of your life, and turned from your old sin nature (repented), and turned toward God and confessed He is Lord and savior, then you are a child of God. You are adopted into his family, and can call him Abba Father. If not, feel free to reach out, and ask me. It’s awesome.  And I don’t get offended at doubts, questions, concerns, etc. Subscribe to my website to join us live or just to get more resources HERE

And here's a recorded live session on Jesus being our chain breaker, and being free of trauma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiD5VzPIA4

References

Scripture quotations marked BSB are taken from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB Copyright 2022 by Bible Hub Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, ESV Text Edition: 2016. Used by persmission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. Th ESV may not be translated into any other language.