When I was four I identified with super man. He was fast and I thought at the time I was fast. Superman was invincible, I thought I was invincible. I thank God that my mother didn’t allow me to jump off our roof because I identified with superman. Just because I had the underoos (yes that was a thing in the 80s) didn’t mean I needed to put my identity as superman and my mom protected me from my false beliefs.
Someone may have told you to feel shame for having a desire that is not of the Lord. My question might be, “do you identify with your earthly desire or do you identify with your heavenly spirit?” Your new spirit happened when you put your faith in Jesus and became born-again. This is your true super hero identity with Christ. What are your super powers? Well, let’s take a look at some of the most important ones:
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.- 2 Timothy 1:7
Power sounds good, love sounds amazing, wait…….self-control? Certainly didn’t see that listed anywhere in the comic books growing up…..1st edition of Marvel Comics presents, “Self-control Man”. Mmmm, not sure that would be a top seller to four year old boys but for sure to a healthy christian woman looking for a future husband and father to her future children.
Let’s go back to shame, because a lot of men and women live in shame today and identify with fleshly desires more than they do comic book characters. Our desires are from two places according to the apostle Paul. From our flesh or from our Spirit. Your spirit is the real you and desires what Jesus desires because you are co-laborers with him. So when Jesus says, “I will build my church….” then we see in scriptures early believers having a desire to build His church. Why? Because they identified with Christ and the desires of their new spirit, not the desires of the flesh. You don’t have to live in shame for an earthly desire, everyone on earth has them and you are not dirty for having selfish desires. It is sin to identify with our earthly desires and live for them. For the believer we are learning to surrender our earthly desires and live for the desires of our King Jesus who has given us power, love, and self-control. Some of us may need spiritual parents who protect us from jumping off a roof and hurting ourselves because we were deceived and identified with shame and earthly desires.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.-Galatians 5:17
brandonpollard 