In ROTJ, after Luke has turned himself over to the Empire. He did so in an attempt to convert Darth Vader away from the Dark Side. An officer immediately brings Luke to Vader, leaving the two alone.
After referring to Vader as his father, Vader replies, "So, you have accepted the truth."
Luke quickly points out that "I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father."
However hurtful it might make one feel, accepting the truth is the first step in gaining freedom.
It is beyond comprehension how Luke could accept that his father was Darth Vader- Lord of the Sith, killer of millions from Alderaan, torturer of his friends, and all-around evil person.
For a person to accept that they are a sinner, doomed to eternal punishment because their sin separates them from God, is a hard truth to accept.
For Luke, his acceptance of the fact leads him to attempt to save his father. Luke's goal is to redeem his father. For non-believers, being convicted of their sin and damnation is the first step in becoming a believer.
Jesus told his disciples in John 16:8a, "And when He [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world concerning sin."
Once we are convicted of our sins and repent, we become co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17).
As believers in Jesus, we no longer need to identify with our old selves. Paul tells believers in Romans 3:24 that we "are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." We have been made righteous through the work of Jesus on the cross (Romans 5:8, John 6:35-37).
Having accepted Jesus as the Truth (John 14:6) and through placing our faith and trust in Him, how do we identify ourselves?
