How Do You Defend the Bible and Make a Stand for Truth?

One of our readers, Gaeddert, asked,

“How do you defend the Bible and make a stand for truth?”

That’s a great question, Gaeddert, and a very important one! Just by asking the question, you’re taking one step toward defending the Bible by equipping yourself with the tools to do so.

While the Bible doesn’t need us to defend it—it is truth—we are called to be able to give answers for what we believe (1 Peter 3:15). We are also called to destroy (tear down) arguments against Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Our ultimate goal as believers is to show people that God’s Word, including its message of salvation, is true. Then we can point them to Jesus, the Savior. At the end of the day, that’s what defending Scripture is all about.

Here are four ways you can defend the Bible and take a stand for truth.

1. Trust the Bible from Genesis through Revelation without compromise.

The Bible is God’s inspired Word, “breathed out” by God through the men who did the writing (2 Timothy 3:16). Because the Bible is from God, we can trust it is true from the very first verse. Also, what we see in the world around us confirms God’s Word. We can confirm the Bible’s history in all areas of science, and we can also trust what it says about Jesus. Many prophecies were told about him hundreds of years before he came to earth, but they all came true. You can have faith in everything the Bible says!

2. Use the Bible as your starting point for everything you believe and do.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to study God’s Word for ourselves (Acts 17:11) because the Bible is our guidebook for living. How can we defend Scripture without knowing what it teaches? If we don’t study God’s Word, we could fall for false teaching (Ephesians 4:14). You can grow in your faith and learn how to live a godly life by spending time with God in his Word.

Don’t ever let anyone convince you to remove the Bible as your starting point. Everyone has a starting belief. That includes believers and unbelievers. Many people base their beliefs on human ideas, which are limited and imperfect. But Christians base our beliefs on the Bible, which was written by the perfect one who knows everything about everything and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). You should not be ashamed of a biblical starting point (2 Timothy 2:15).

3. Follow Jesus’ example.

When Jesus defended the Bible, he quoted God’s Word, using it to rebuke and correct Satan when Satan was tempting him and misusing Scripture. Throughout his ministry, Jesus claimed that the Bible is God’s Word. Also, the Bible’s authors claim to be speaking for God over 3,000 times, using phrases like “the word of God.” They knew the words they were writing came from God himself. Sure, there’s lots of evidence outside the Bible that shows it’s God’s Word (such as fulfilled prophecies, historical confirmations, and changed lives). But the best and strongest reason is that the Bible tells us so. We can trust what it says because the Bible is God’s Word, and God never lies.

4. Be strong and courageous in your defense (Joshua 1:9).

Jesus told us that the world would hate us because we belong to him. We might be treated badly because we believe in him and his Word. But we must boldly and bravely share God’s Word with others so that they can learn the truth. That’s what the Bible is—a book of truth. It shows us the way to Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). And it’s our job to tell others about him.

Practice standing for truth! Work on memorizing a Bible verse about God’s Word this week, like 2 Timothy 3:16 or 1 Peter 3:15.

Do you have a question about the Bible? Ask your parents to help you submit your question today. We’d love to hear from you!