My three-year-old grandson dislikes being called anything other than his name. He becomes very animated about it.

If I were to say something like, “Well, aren’t you a Silly Willy?” I would hear, “I not Silly Willy; I J.J.!”

Or if someone would say, “Why, thank you, Sweetheart.” He would say, “I not Sweetheart; I J.J.!”

And even if you would address him, “Hello there, Mr. J.J.” He would respond, “I not Mr. J.J.; I just J.J.!”

J.J.’s insistence on being called only by his name made me think about spiritual matters. When the enemy comes to us, accusing us of something like, “You’re a loser.” We can act like J.J. and answer back, “I’m not a loser! I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.”

Or when the enemy says, “You’ll never overcome that sin.” We can respond, “I will too! In Christ, I have everything I need for life and godliness.”

Or when the devil says, “You will never be able to please God.” We can say, “Yes, I can! The Father made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for me, so that I could be the righteousness of God!”

In whatever way the enemy tries to tempt, lie to, or bring you down, you can use the Sword of the Spirit to fight him, declaring what God’s Word says about who you are in Christ.

But to fight effectively with the weapon God has given you, you must be in His Word. The more you know God’s Word, the sharper your Sword will be and the more dangerous you will become to the enemy. Don’t let your Sword get dull and rusty.

Because J.J. insists on his name alone, his siblings know how to irritate him. But when we hear hollering from the other room, “I not Stinky Pants; I J.J.!” it’s not J.J. who gets in trouble. The sibling who teased him faces the consequences. Similarly, when the devil taunts you, turn to God, and let your Heavenly Father defend you.

Now, of course, if J.J. has stinky pants, that is taken care of appropriately. But having stinky pants and being stinky pants are two very different things. At this point in his life, J.J. shouldn’t be having stinky pants. At this point in your spiritual walk, you shouldn’t be falling into the same old sins either, but if you do, let your Heavenly Father clean you up and set you up for success again. But don’t let the enemy label you by your sin. Your identity is not your sin; your identity is Christ! The more you learn who you are in Christ and the power that affords you, the less the enemy will be able to bring you down.

I would like to encourage you to add Pulling a J.J. to your spiritual arsenal. When the enemy throws lies at you, retaliate with the Truth. You are not who the enemy says you are; you are who God says you are!