Who Will Defend You?
By Dot Bowen
My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 (NAS)
I didn’t quite understand what it meant when Jesus is called our advocate in the Bible. Advocate isn’t a word we hear on a daily basis. If you are in a Bible study or attend church, you may have heard Jesus referred to as our intercessor. I have grown to understand there is nothing sweeter than knowing Jesus intercedes for me. If you are His child, He is also interceding for you. He is your Advocate! An advocate is a helper—one who encourages or comes to another’s aid.
John highlights what life with Jesus was like in 1 John 2:1, and I was reminded because I’m God’s child, Jesus intercedes on my behalf. He is my Advocate, and He will come to my defense! One of the most important truths I’ve learned as a follower of Christ is the greatest sin is unbelief. This has brought new meaning to my life when I’m facing difficulties. Do I believe Jesus will defend me? Do I believe God will reveal truth to me and the people I love? Or am I going to take matters into my own hands and defend myself and try to prove I’m right? As I pray and ask God to show me His truth, I realize I don’t have to defend myself or fight my own battles.
It’s difficult to replace the lies we believe—only Jesus can do this! It can also be very frustrating to find the right words or the perfect moment to share a truth with someone and realize they just don’t understand. When you hear that Jesus is your Advocate, Intercessor, Helper, and Defender, what emotions rise up inside you? When I asked Jesus to make this truth a reality in my life, I felt an amazing peace within my soul. I knew God was saying, Stop fighting for yourself, and let Me fight for you. Stop trying to prove you are right, and let Me be your righteousness. God was asking me to believe He would take care of these things for me.
Are you struggling to prove something to someone? Do you want to prove your point or make a difference in the lives of people you love? I’m daily learning my deepest issue is fully trusting Jesus. What might my life look like if I truly believe He is my defender? When I wait on God and trust Him to fight for me, I find rest in my soul. I’m not near as tired throughout the day because I’m not fighting my battles—I’m trusting Jesus.
What about you? Are you trusting Jesus to fight for you? John teaches us we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The question isn’t if Jesus will intercede on our behalf or defend us, but rather do we believe He will? How can this truth become a reality in your every day life? The greatest weapon we have to overcome the lies we believe or the lies others believe about us is faith in God. Have faith to let Him fight for you. Believe He will fight for you. Because He wins every time!
REFLECT
- Take a moment to recall a situation in your life when you were misrepresented or caught up in a painful situation. Did someone come to your defense? If so, how did that make you feel?
- How does it feel to know that Jesus will always be your Advocate and Defender?
RESPOND
- Read and meditate on Romans 8:1-2. What does it mean to you personally when you read, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus?” Embrace this truth and find hope in this promise throughout the next week.