Discussion Who and what are we in Christ?

I once heard John Hagee (a television preacher) claim that as God's kids we are royalty like God is royalty. Like, we are princesses and princes or something like that. But I was sitting there thinking that if he says this and if people started genuinely believing it then it could make the saints arrogant. We'd start losing whatever virtues we may have. Oops.

And nobody needs to be "puffed up" like that.

Just a few:

I am a new creature in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I have been made the righteiousness of God in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

I have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness.
2 Peter 1:3 KJV
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

We have been quickened together with Christ, raised up together with Christ, and made to sit in heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 2:5-6 KJV
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

1 Peter 1:3 KJV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Ephesians 2:10 KJV
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

When John baptized Jesus, the Father spoke from heaven and told Jesus, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Jesus was then driven into the wilderness by the Spirit. The devil tempted Jesus. What was the nature of this temptation? The devil tried to get Jesus to doubt the words that the Father spoke from heaven. He tried to get Jesus to doubt, speak, and act in a manner that denied who God said He was.

Matthew 4:
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:

Satan does the same with us. He wants us to doubt what God is saying about us. He subtly attempts to get us deny who we are. His reasoning sometimes sounds very reasonable and even holy. I recall the conversation between Jesus and Peter:

Matthew 16:21-23 KJV
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

We might say: "But Peter was just concerned about the welfare of Jesus. Yes, and in this case, this was an evil thing masquerading as a good thing. In reality, it was Satan speaking through Peter in an attempt to divert Him from the plan of God.
The devil uses similar humanistic reasoning to divert us from the Gospel plan. It sounds religious to say "we should not refer to ourselves as 'the righteousness of God." It sounds carnal to say, "He has given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness." But these are the plans of God, not humanistic ones. God, in fact, wants us to "prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper." 3 John 1:2

2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The devil will give us plenty of human logic reasons why we should deny these "In Him" realities. All of them are very religious-sounding and even spiritually humble. But in fact, they are just temptations from Satan to thwart the plan of God. Tell Satan to get behind you.

Believe what God said about who and what you are!