“You Are Not Who God Made You to Be and Who God Says You Are” (Satan’s Big, Fat Lie)

From the get-go Satan has been whispering lies in the minds and hearts of the unsuspecting. In Genesis 3:1, we have him already convincing Eve to question that which she had heard from God, when the serpent asked her, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 

Though because of the cross we have been given “the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57), our Enemy has not ceased planting doubts and lies in the hearts of mankind. Two areas in particular in which he loves to feed us lies concern 1) Scripture’s word to us that God has made us male and female in His image, and 2) that we are worth Jesus to the Father since Christ died as the substitutionary atonement for all our wrongs.

Having listened to Satan’s whisper, “Has God really said . . . ?” some say, “I was not physically made by God to reflect His image, and definitely not designed to reflect God’s image in marriage with another person as husband and wife. I don’t believe Genesis 1:27, which says, ‘So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’ [NIV].” 

Also deceived by the Enemy, some say, “I am not worth Jesus to God since I don’t believe in Jesus nor what the Bible says about Him or me. I do not believe 1 Peter 1:18-19, where we read ‘you were redeemed from your empty way of life . . . with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish’ [HCSB]. Nor do I believe 1 Corinthians 6:20, which says, ‘you were bought at a price’ [NIV].”

The Lies They Are Told in Place of God’s Truth

Of course, when one listens to Satan’s lies and rejects the worldview presented in Scripture, then one will believe something else. They don’t simply “disbelieve” everything. Everyone believes something on the basis of something. 

Consequently, with regard to self-image, people are trying to figure out who they are. Some even now declare who they are. They say, “I was born this way” in contention that it was not a choice. Others say, “I was not born this way” in contention that their identity lies elsewhere. Of course, that perspective can be at odds with Jesus Christ who reveals that from the beginning God made us male and female and to reflect God’s image in marriage unless given the gift of celibacy. 

With regard to their worth, many are deceived into believing it is self-defined and revolves around developing human potential, bettering society, enjoying one’s social network, and following principles of fairness and respect (unless the other person does not deserve civil treatment). Of course, that worldview can also be at odds with Jesus Christ who calls us to follow Him and love Him first and foremost, and find our worth in Him. 

In our Western culture, would it be fair to say there is a profound struggle with regard to self-image and personal worth? Statistics tell us that suicides increase year by year. Is it any wonder why? If one concludes there is no God who made us and declares that we have eternal worth, then can life have ultimate meaning? “Why live?” many wonder. “My life has no meaning or purpose.”

The Questions We Should Be Asking

Back to Eve and the Bible’s account of Satan’s deception—interestingly, more people believe in the reality of evil than in God. However, given one senses that an evil force could be there and whisper lies, might it be a prudent thing to consider if we are a victim of this Enemy? We are not the Enemy; Satan is. But Satan seeks to deceive, doing so because by nature he is a liar, as Jesus said. None of us wants this to be true, but the question isn’t about what we want or don’t want but about what is true. Therefore even the deceived skeptic should ask: Could the devil be real? Could a demonic reality have as its mission to distort who we are—individuals made in God’s image—and distort our worth to God?

Certainly, Satan sought to put serious seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind. “Has God really said . . . ?” The devil’s aim was to put a rift between God and Eve by confusing her thinking about who God was (“What you heard that He said, He didn’t really mean that!”) and confusing her thinking about herself (“Who said you cannot be like God?”).

Might we conclude that the devil’s objective is to convince us of this specific lie: “You are not who God made you to be and who God says you are”?

Instead, the deceiver tries convincing us: “You can be who you think you are. You can find your meaning, purpose, and worth in the way you deem most godlike.” 

But this raises the question: Does anyone truly discover a healthy self-image and personal worth outside of God, as the devil tells them they can? Some broadcast far and wide that they do. However, others report that they are not as happy as they envisioned, and in fact, can feel inadequate, guilty, shameful, and meaningless. 

Flip Wilson, a comedian years back, used to say, “The devil made me do it.” We must consider if in fact there is an underlying truth here. Is the devil real and does he deceive? Does he sow doubt about what God has made and revealed? 

How imperative is it to reflect on the serpent’s question: “Has God really said . . . ?” Could he still be undermining our true identity and worth? Does God wonderfully define us, or do we determine self-definition? Do we have worth based on God’s love for us, or is our worth derived from standards devoid of this God? 

Anyone struggling with identity and value should consider what the generations over the ages have found to be fulfilling and meaningful. Many over the centuries would unequivocally urge each of us to resist the devil’s tricks and embrace what God “has really said.” Among a multitude of other encouraging scriptures, Psalm 139:14 proclaims that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s workmanship, created for good works.

Final question

What if you are who God made you to be and who He says you are? Is that a bad thing? Or might this be the wonderful way forward in finding the kind of healty self-love, identity, purpose, and worth the Enemy has been trying to convince you to find through any other way other than what God said is true?