The Battle Plan
Know the Battle. Objective and Loadout
1 Peter 3:15b (NLT)
15b And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
1 Peter 1:1-3
1This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Those who have been:
1. Known by God the Father and chosen long ago
2. Made holy by the power of the Spirit
3. Obeyed Him
4. Been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ
In other words, if you call yourself a Christ follower Peter calls you out as an apologist also.
1. Objective
Our objective in apologetics is largely dependent on our environment and our opposition.
Here are a handful:
- Prompts discussion between Christians (Proverbs 27:17, iron sharpening iron)
- Breaks down intellectual barriers in the Gospel (deepens our understanding)
- Opens spiritual discussions with skeptics (evangelism)
- Helps us wrestle with our own intellectual doubts
- Connects philosophy, science, history, theology, and other fields of study together.
2. Loadout
A loadout is the gear or equipment you take into battle.
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NLT)
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
A. Belt of Truth
John 14:6 (NLT)
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
B. Body Armor of God’s Righteousness
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
C. Shoes of Peace from the Good News
Matthew 5:9 (NKJV)
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
D. Shield of Faith
Luke 1:1-4
4 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. 3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.”
Matthew 7:24-25
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
E. Helmet of Salvation
F. Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God
1 Peter 3:15b (NLT)
15b And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
1 Peter 1:1-3
1This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Those who have been:
1. Known by God the Father and chosen long ago
2. Made holy by the power of the Spirit
3. Obeyed Him
4. Been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ
In other words, if you call yourself a Christ follower Peter calls you out as an apologist also.
1. Objective
Our objective in apologetics is largely dependent on our environment and our opposition.
Here are a handful:
- Prompts discussion between Christians (Proverbs 27:17, iron sharpening iron)
- Breaks down intellectual barriers in the Gospel (deepens our understanding)
- Opens spiritual discussions with skeptics (evangelism)
- Helps us wrestle with our own intellectual doubts
- Connects philosophy, science, history, theology, and other fields of study together.
2. Loadout
A loadout is the gear or equipment you take into battle.
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NLT)
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
A. Belt of Truth
John 14:6 (NLT)
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
B. Body Armor of God’s Righteousness
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
C. Shoes of Peace from the Good News
Matthew 5:9 (NKJV)
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
D. Shield of Faith
Luke 1:1-4
4 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. 3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.”
Matthew 7:24-25
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
E. Helmet of Salvation
F. Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God