Get Defensive

vv.13-14:

As children of God, we have no need to fear anyone, which is good, because it will often put us into some trying situations.

We need to remember that anything this world does to us is only temporary in nature. It is God who holds eternity.

We are involved in a holy war, but our battle is not against people… it is for people.

Though we may be threatened and persecuted, we need to remember that there are unseen forces behind it.

We are in a war, but our battle is not against flesh and blood.

Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

For the entire 6000 year history of earth, God’s people have been at the center of this battle, and Adam and Eve were the first casualties.

From Satan’s victory in the Garden of Eden came death, disease, pain, and disasters of all sorts.

The perfect world that God had created was gone due to the curse of sin, and the ravages of this war.

The Battle is all around us, though we may not see it. Daniel gives us an insight into the unseen struggle.

Though we may not see it, the battle is happening all around us.

Daniel 10:12–14

Daniel 10:12–14 NKJV

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

Satan and his demons are waging a war in order to stop the revelation of God’s word.

This is not a war to be fought with weapons. It is a “holy war” and must be fought in a holy manner.

We are to put on the armor of God, pray, and wield the Sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:11-20

So, rather than fear the enemy, we should wield the sword. 

v.15:

As Peter instructs us on how to wield that sword, he speaks of making a defense.

This (defense) is essentially a legal term. It means to give a defense or an answer to an accusation.

In essence, you could say that it’s an explanation of why.

If we are going to effectively wield a weapon, we need to know the weapon.

In a world where the Gospel is increasingly under attack by such means as evolution, anti-Biblical history, relative morality, relative truth, etc., the defense of the Gospel has become more necessary than ever.

Even so, the believer who stands up and publicly defends the pure doctrine of the Bible will, in the very least, be defamed.

It comes with the territory, but it does not change the mission.

The simple fact is, we can’t teach what we don’t believe!

The believer needs to not only know what he believes, but why he believes it.

In order to do that, we need to understand that the Christian faith is not a blind faith. Instead, it is a faith characterized by substance and evidence.

Look at the Biblical definition of faith:

The Biblical definition of faith.

Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Substance = real, tangible

Evidence = proof

God has given us His Word so that we can KNOW and believe. . . Not doubt.

1 John 5:13

1 John 5:13 NKJV

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

You can be certain of Biblical faith, because it is characterized by substance and evidence.

For this reason, we can believe, know and understand and be absolutely sure of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is a pitiful and ineffective soldier who does not believe in or understand his cause.

To start, we must Sanctify God in our hearts.

We must place Him above all else. 

Then we must always be ready to defend our faith, which requires knowledge of the Word of God.

We must be sure to do it in “meekness and fear”... out of love, not vengeance.

We must live what we preach!

Today, we see opposition to God’s word from many sources.

The Bible tells us that any Gospel other than is revealed in the Bible is cursed.

Anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God, and if you are not with Jesus, you are against Him:

There is only one Gospel, and if you are not with Jesus, you are against Him.

Galatians 1:8

Galatians 1:8 NKJV

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

James 4:4

James 4:4 NKJV

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Matthew 12:30

Matthew 12:30 NKJV

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The list is long, but any religion that does not profess Christ, is an enemy of God.

All other religions (islam, hindu, buddhism, wicca, new age religions, Humanism, Evolution, atheism, etc.) work against God.

The thing that Christians need to remember, is that the followers of these religions are people in need of a savior.

Christ died for them, as well as for us.

Those people who persecute us are victims of Satan’s lie.

They have been enslaved by sin, and our job is to work for their freedom.

The lost are enslaved by sin, and we are to work for their freedom by sharing the truth of Jesus Christ.

John 8:36

John 8:36 NKJV

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

We are not to defeat them, but to WIN them.

v.16:

If we do this, we will have a good conscience.

Those that speak against us will one day be ashamed, as they stand before the great white throne.

v.17:

We are to take a stand, and preach the Gospel.

One way we can do that is to take the opportunities given to us to defend our faith.

It won’t always be without consequences, but the suffering is only temporary. We are earning eternal rewards.

Remember, we are not trying to defeat those who oppose us, we are trying to WIN them.

In order to do that, they must hear the Gospel.

In order to lead a person to Christ, they must hear the Gospel.

Romans 10:14

Romans 10:14 NKJV

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:17

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

There is only one way of salvation, and we must always be ready to defend that truth.

John 14:6

John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.