A faith one is unwilling to defend is no faith at all, for their is no day when sincere believers do not face their Adversary, of whom Jesus said,...
"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!"
(John 8:43-45)
Christians are all called to defend their faith. Every Christian will be required by God to do so at some point in their life. 1st Peter 3:15:
“Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
There are five things to remember when interacting with those seeking truth and those rejecting truth.
1. Not everyone who makes objections to Christianity cares about your response.
Put simply, some people just love an argument. In dealing with non-believers who just want to put Christians down, answer their questions or counter their objections, but do so briefly. When they continuously belittle you or your faith that means it’s time to drop the conversation.
However, if a non-believer genuinely wants to know about Christianity, then it’s important to go in depth and give them as much wisdom as they will abide. This is the person on whom you want to focus. This is the person that’s open enough to take what you have to say seriously.
2. Be mature
Even if the person you’re talking to is immature, don’t conform to that behavior. Ponder questions or objections before you answer them, thus giving the wisest answers possible. Otherwise, people won’t take you - or your core beliefs - seriously.
3. Steer clear of the jargon of Churchiosity.
Our Christian friends understand what we mean when we say "gospel", “grace” or "sin." However, many non-believers, non-churched people may not know what those words mean, or think they know what they mean and use them out of context. Keep it simple, and use language that everyone understands.
4. Understand why you’re defending your faith
There are good reasons why we need to defend our faith. The first and most obvious one is that the Bible says so. (1 Peter 3-5)
Another reason is to help people see what Christians authentically believe. People often have stereotyped all Christians, sight unseen... assuming them to be uneducated, judgmental, closed minded, ignorant and/or hypocritical.
Exhibiting your faith as biblically sound and grounded in God's written word reveals their objections to be with the Author and Finisher, the Alpha and Omega of the Christian faith, rather than with all His followers.
Defending your faith can also strengthen your faith in God, as the indwelling Holy Spirit brings His words to your mind. It’s often difficult for people to publicly surrender their life to Jesus Christ, and observing the unshakable faith and assurance of those who have long since done so glorifies God.
5. Remember always the two most important commandments according to Jesus are loving God and loving people (Matthew 22:36-40).
As the Holy Spirit emphasizes God’s love for His created ones through those witnessing in response to questions and criticisms of Christianity, He is powerfully enabled to bring people into a relationship with Him.
Canuckus Deploracus wrote:
If one cannot proclaim one's faith while facing adversity, one has no business with that faith anyway...