I Am His

Y'all, I'm on a roll. I'm writing this devotional 2 weeks ahead of time. God is really talking to me and revealing Himself to me. When God gave me this message at work, I was like

I've been on this spiritual warfare kick for a while. But this right here.....this is the preparation. 

Ephesians 6:13-17 New Living Translation (NLT)

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[a] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[b] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I think one of the most overlooked pieces of the armor is the feet. It says that your feet are the preparation of the gospel. But here's the thing...you can't prepare for a fight and not know what side you're on. This going to sound very elementary, but think back to school: In the Civil War, the Confederates knew they were Confederates. The Union knew they were the Union. They knew the principles they were fighting for. 

Ephesians 6:12 New Living Translation (NLT)

12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

We have to know that we belong to God.  

Psalm 100:3 New Living Translation (NLT)

3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.[a]
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

There's a different confidence that comes when you know whose side you're on. The reason some of you are fighting so much is because you don't know what side you're on. You're having an identity crisis and didn't even know. In any TV show, movie, whatever when a character finds out they are adopted, it sends them in this downward spiral. Some of your lives have been spinning out of control because you do not know who you are. 

Because I know that I belong to Him, I know that I was made in his image and His likeness (Genesis 1:27). I know who made me. I know He loves me. I know that I'm not adopted because He never leaves or forsakes me. I am made in His image and His likeness so that means I look like Him. I act like Him. The things I do are a reflection of Him. When they see me, they see Him. You ever heard anyone say "Oh you look just like your mama!" Listen, I've been hearing that my entire life. The older I get, my behavior matches the people I look like. It's the same thing spiritually. When I dance, people know I belong to Pastor and First Lady Coppett. When I open my mouth, they know I belong Apostle Sharon. Are you acting like God or are you acting adopted?

The most impressionable people are those who are ignorant. Listen to what I'm saying. Ignorance means the absence of knowledge. When you don't know anything, anybody will have you believing anything they tell you. That's why the Bible says 

Proverbs 22:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Children are sponges. You tell them anything and they believe it. When I was a little girl, my grandaddy told me that if I swallowed a watermelon seed, I'd get pregnant with a watermelon. I remember one time I just cried and cried and cried because I accidentally swallowed a seed. I believed what he said because my life depended on it. As we grow, some people have told us things, like church will ruin your life and it takes all the fun away. So now you don't want to be a part of it.But when you know who you belong to, you have a peace of mind.

Nobody can tell you just anything because you know who you belong to. You stand strong in who  you are and will defend it relentlessly. You can say whatever you want about me, but you won't say anything about the God I serve. Think I'm playing? How many people you know got to swinging because somebody said something about their mama? Everybody knows mamas and children are off limits. It's a trigger. 

People will do anything to defend the ones they love. It's happened in the Bible. 

3 HEBREW BOYS STORY IN DANIEL 3

These boys were willing to die for God. They didn't care about none of that stuff King NunChucks (I literally always mispronounce his name) was talking about. They knew who they belonged to and were not willing to compromise. That's why they went in the fiery furnace and didn't smell like smoke, they didn't burn, you couldn't even tell they had been in the fire. Because God was with them. 

Because I belong to God, I know His voice, and He knows my voice. I know that if I call Him, He'll answer. He'll show up and be in the midst.

John 10:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

You can't win against somebody who knows where they belong and who they belong to. Make sure you claim the right thing. You belong to God not the things that have happened  to you. I'll never forget this one thing that First Lady said, "You cannot let what happened to you handle you." Don't let what you've been through define who you are. You don't belong to that. Man defines you by that. Why do you think that's why a lot of people  in the Bible that received a miracle was identified by their issue. The woman with the issue of blood, the blind man, the blind man at the pool of Bethesda, the 12 year old dead girl. None of them had names in the Bible, but were given names at birth. 

God knows who we are. He knew who we were before we were formed in our mother's womb. Sometimes we have to go through things to know who we belong to, but when we come into the realization of who we are. We won't let anyone or anything else define us. 

We may lose something--God supplies our needs
We may go through storms--God is our peace. He is our mind regulator. 

Because He is who He is, He defines us.