How To Teach Kids Who They Are In Christ

As parents, we have been uniquely created to meet our children’s spiritual needs; that is, God created us to speak His Truth into our children, and no one else can do it quite like mom or dad. One critical truth that needs to be taught to all believers, but especially children, is who they are in Christ. The Bible speaks time and again on different aspects of our identity. Use the statements and verses below to speak these biblical truths over your children (jump to the bottom of this page for ideas on HOW to teach kids who they are in Christ).

My Identity In Christ

• I am a child of God. – John 1:12
• I have peace with God. – Romans 5:1
• I have access to God’s wisdom. – James 1:5
• I have the Holy Spirit living in me. – 1 Corinthians 3:16
• I am helped by God. – Hebrews 4:16
• I am reconciled to God. – Romans 5:11
• I am not condemned by God. – Romans 8:1
• I am justified. – Romans 5:1
• I have Christ’s righteousness. – Romans 5:19 & 2 Corinthians 5:21
• I am Christ’s ambassador. – 2 Corinthians 5:20
• I am completely forgiven. – Colossians 1:14
• I am tenderly loved by God. – Jeremiah 31:3
• I am the sweet fragrance of Christ to God. – 2 Corinthians 2:15
• I am a temple in which God dwells. – 1 Corinthians 3:16
• I am blameless and beyond reproach. – Colossians 1:22
• I am the salt of the earth. – Matthew 5:13
• I am the light of the world. – Matthew 5:14
• I am a branch on Christ’s vine. – John 15:1, 5
• I am Christ’s friend. – John 15:15
• I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit. – John 15:16
• I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. – Romans 8:17
• I am united to the Lord, one spirit with Him. – 1 Corinthians 6:17
• I am a member of Christ’s body. – 1 Corinthians 12:27
• I am a saint. – Ephesians 1:1
• I am hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 3:3
• I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved. – Colossians 3:12
• I am a child of the light. – 1 Thessalonians 5:5
• I am holy, and I share in God’s heavenly calling. – Hebrews 3:1
• I am sanctified. – Hebrews 2:11
• I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. – 1 Peter 2:5
• I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession and created to sing His praises. – 1 Peter 2:9-10
• I am firmly rooted and built up in Christ. – Colossians 2:7
• I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me. – 1 John 5:18
• I have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:16
• I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence. – Ephesians 3:12
• I have been made complete in Christ. – Colossians 2:10
• I have been rescued from Satan’s domain and transferred into the kingdom of Christ. – Colossians 1:13
• I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
• I have been given great and precious promises by God. – 2 Peter 1:4
• I have all of my needs met by God. – Philippians 4:19
• I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• I have been adopted as God’s child. – Ephesians 1:5
• I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. – Ephesians 2:18
• I am assured that all things are working together for good. – Romans 8:28
• I am free from any condemning charges against me. – Romans 8:31
• I cannot be separated from the love of God. – Romans 8:35
• I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
• I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected. – Philippians 1:6
• I am a citizen of heaven. – Philippians 3:20
• I am a personal witness of Christ’s. – Acts 1:8
• I am God’s coworker. – 2 Corinthians 6:1 & 1 Corinthians 3:9
• I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. – Ephesians 2:6
• I am God’s workmanship. – Ephesians 2:10
• I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength I need. – Philippians 4:13

How To Teach These Truths

As parents, we tend to overthink how to teach our kids about Jesus or how to share His Word with them. We think it has to be structured or part of our everyday routine or some big to-do. But truthfully, it could not be simpler. Just tell them these truths. When they feel alone, tell them they are a friend of Christ (John 15:15). When they wake up, remind them they are dearly loved by God (Jeremiah 31:3). When they’re going to sleep, comfort them with the knowledge that they have peace with God (Romans 5:1). It’s that easy.

It’s also helpful to memorize these truths with your kids. I personally would memorize the accompanying Bible verse, but memorizing the identity statement could be powerful, as well. You could make these part of your morning rhythm, maybe as they’re getting ready or as a family around the breakfast table. It could be something you review in the car on the way to school, gymnastics, church, the grocery store, or anywhere in between. Or perhaps a nightly routine would work better, declaring who they are in Christ before they close their eyes each night. This post is full of tips on memorizing Bible verses, and many of the same tactics could be used to memorize these identity statements.

For Older Kids

They say that a child’s identity is mostly formed by the age of 5. I wholeheartedly believe that, but there is no such thing as too late when it comes to teaching someone about their identity in Christ. If you’re looking to address this topic with older kids, keep these tips in your back pocket.

Write it

Physically writing information gives the brain more details to trigger memory than using a digital device (study). So maybe it’s using “fancy” pens, or designing a poster with the words, or just writing it over and over again, but when someone writes these identity statements down on paper, it begins to solidify them as truth in their mind.

Find accompanying verses

Make it fun, like a scavenger hunt. Give the child a few identity statements and challenge them to find as many accompanying verses as they can for each one. This is a great time to introduce a concordance (Strong’s is an excellent option) and how to research information within the Bible.

Create their own identity statements

This one is a bit trickier, but if there’s an area where a child struggles (anxiety, impatience, greed, etc.), work with them to find Bible verses on that topic. Once you have discussed the verses, create an identity statement for them to cling to when they feel themselves beginning to struggle. For instance, a child who struggles with greed could study Hebrews 13:5, Luke 12:15, and Matthew 6:24. Then they could come up with an identity statement such as, “I am content with what God provides.”

Identity is so important for all believers, and especially so for children. You are setting your child up for a lifetime of assurance of who they are in Christ by teaching them these simple identity statements. It’s worth the effort!