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Why is it important to be prepared for attacks on our Christian faith?
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Attacks are very real, and they will come. There is an enemy that does not want God’s kindgdom to come, but we are on the winning side… In the end, God wins….. We need to be prepared to stand in the face of opposition, but keeping our focus on Christ, knowing that He is and always will be our strength.
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We need to expect that the attacks will come at some point, so studious preparation will enable us to boldly share the Scriptures which hold the truth people need for salvation.
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1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”
Why is it important? Well, as you can see in the verse above, we are told to make it important, as well as the manner in which we respond to those who question or contend against us. We need to know what we believe and are standing for in order to defend it or represent it to others. If we are confused or unsure, we will surely fall to the deceits of the world. We also must keep in mind Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” We mustn’t respond to people in a manner that harms them in anyway. They are not the power behind the ideology that they hold, but rather the spiritual forces of evil in this world have managed to deceive them into believing their lies. Our job is to love on even those who intend us harm. Be ready to share what we know about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Speak truth and life at all times. This all contributes to the manner in which we come against the attacks of our true enemy.
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Just as the Bible states that we need to be ready at all times to give an answer for the hope that is within us, so too we much be ready at all times to not only be able to speak to why we believe but to be convinced of it ourselves.
One of the best disciplines that I can expose my students to is apologetics, and familiarize them with some of our most notable contemporary apologists.
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As much as the Bible says we need to be prepared for the hope within us, we are also commanded to be ready with an answer for those seeking. Those who would choose to attack us for our beliefs express their insecurity about how they have experienced life.