How To Break Free From Insecurity And Discover Who You Really Are

“We’re going to have to let truth scream louder to our souls than the lies that have infected us.” ~ Beth Moore

The devil is real.

I don’t like giving that bully a lot of attention, but I think too many Christians don’t give him enough. One of the ways he attacks God’s people is through lies about who they are and why they exist.

Insecurity is caused by an identity crisis: Not having confidence in who you are and why God created you.

There are many reasons why you may struggle with feelings of insecurity. Perhaps you were raised with emotional or physical neglect, or you were betrayed by someone you trusted. It could be you were violated. Or maybe you’re like me, and you were teased as a young child. Your insecurity may even stem from something you’ve done. However, you may struggle with feelings of insecurities and not know where they stem from. I encourage you to seek the Lord on what the root of your insecurity is.

Whatever the reason for your low self esteem, somewhere you opened a door to the devil. Unknowingly, you began to believe the message that something was wrong with you and that you aren’t worthy. Subtle feelings of shame, anxiety, fear and/or self doubt were planted deep within your soul.

Feeling insecure is an assault from the enemy on your soul.

God has a plan to prosper you. Satan, on the other hand, has a plan to destroy you. The spiritual battle is real and it begins in your mind. Your thoughts are like weapons, that when allowed to control your heart and behavior in negative ways, bring destruction to your self-identity. Insecurities block you from enjoying a quality life. They rob you of joy, leaving you entrapped in a prison of sorts.

Your insecurities are birthed through what you allow yourself to believe; lies about yourself and about God.

Insecurities are like a negative tape recording that’s on repeat in your head. It keeps playing over and over again, masquerading the truth of who you really are. The seeds that have been planted by the devil are now your self-defeating thoughts that zap you of living freely.

The effects of insecurities are vast. You may even become hateful of yourself, others and even God. Feelings of rejection can leave you feeling envious, angry, anxious and lonely.  Living your life this way, lacking in peace or joy becomes extremely burdensome. Basically, insecurities cheat you out of the abundant life Jesus promised you (John 10:10).

Whatever the root cause to your insecure feelings may be, you don’t have to stay stuck.

Here’s how to break free from insecurity and discover who you really are.

1. Acknowledge that Spiritual warfare is real

The first step in conquering your insecurities is to recognize that they are not from God, but from Satan. If you let him, this enemy of your soul will torment you constantly with his lies. Some of the common lies he tells people are, “you’re so inadequate,” or “you’re a failure,” or “people don’t like or accept you.”  One of the biggest lies Satan whispers is “God doesn’t love you.”

It is critical that you learn to pay attention to your thoughts.

Begin filtering every thought through the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:5). The battlefield is in the mind and the war is fought in the spiritual realm. As the Scriptures say, ^“For we 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” (Ephesians 6:12).

Be alert and aware so you can begin the process of re-wiring your thought process. It’s not going to be easy at first because for so long you’ve allowed your negative thoughts to penetrate you. But it’s time to say goodbye to that old “friend” and embrace a more faithful and true one.

2.  Know the truth about God and yourself

Insecurities leave you with an identity crisis because you haven’t grasped who God is and who He says you are. Ask Him for spiritual understanding and insight of this as you get in His Word and allow His truths to penetrate your heart.

Believe, by faith, that the Bible is God’s love letter to you.

As a Christian your identity is in Jesus Christ. Learn to define yourself through Him. This means embracing God’s love for you, basing your worth and value in what He says about you.

You will never fully understand who you are until you understand who God is. Once you have a healthy understanding of God’s character, you will begin to embrace His authentic love for you and trust yourself to His Lordship.

Acknowledging your authority in Christ will empower you to walk in confidence, having His assurance within you. God has given you all the power over the enemy (Luke 10:19). Christ in you will always be more powerful than the devil’s attacks on you (1 John 4:4). However, you must know who you are in Christ to conquer him.

3. Fight for your freedom

Make a decision to stand up and put on your full armor of God daily and silence the enemy’s false accusations about you.

Praising and thanking God are weapons you can use against the enemy’s attack too. Listening to worship music is another tool. Push yourself to do these things, even when you don’t feel like doing them.

It is helpful to have other brothers and sisters to stand with you. God wants you to have accountability in your life. This too is a weapon against the enemy (Matthew 18:20).

Forgiveness is a powerful weapon and necessary (whether to the other person, yourself, or God) for you to be set free. It’s time you take back what has been robbed from you and is rightfully yours- your freedom in Christ.  If an injustice has happened to you, it is important that you ask God to heal you of the trauma. Jesus died for you to live your life in His peace, joy and confidence.

It’s time to rise up as the mighty warrior you were created to be!

The truth is you are God’s beloved (Ephesians 1:6). May this truth go deep into your soul. Your insecurity will push you to try to be someone you’re not. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Be yourself, because you are beautifully made (Song of Solomon 4:7), handcrafted by God Almighty Himself (Psalm 139:13-17). God doesn’t make any mistakes.

It is in Jesus, and Jesus only, that you will be unshackled from your stronghold of low confidence and low self-esteem. Only God can satisfy, fulfill and set you free from all of your insecurities.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God has given you a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, resist the devil’s lies about you and  start listening to the voice of Truth.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ~ Ephesians 2:10