When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God declared, “This is My Son” (Matthew 3:17 NIV). Then Satan quickly tempted Jesus, saying, “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3,6). Satan was casting doubt, asking Jesus if He really believed He was the Son of God. And then Satan suggested that Jesus demand a miracle, proof of what God said. Demanding that God validate Himself is the opposite of faith.

And so it is with all of us who become children of God. In His Word, God has said:

• “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

• “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).

• “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Galatians 4:6).

• “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

• “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:14-17).

• “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26).

• “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

• “We know that we are children of God” (1 John 5:19).

After we have made a profession of faith and committed our lives to Jesus, after we have been baptized, after God has declared us to be His children, Satan immediately comes to sow doubt: Do you really believe you are a child of God? Can you trust what God said? Then we need to respond as Jesus did: “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4,7,10). If God said it, it must be true. It is true.