Defending the Faith by Displaying Christ
“Truth doesn’t need to be shouted—it needs to shine.”
Jude 1:3 – “Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.”
John 12:32 – “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Inspired by In Christ by E. Stanley Jones and the Epistle of Jude
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Jude’s brief but urgent letter opens with a fiery charge: “Contend for the faith.” Not passively preserve it. Not quietly ignore corruption. But contend—actively stand against distortions of the gospel, especially those that twist God’s grace into an excuse for sin. That kind of boldness is necessary when truth is under siege.
And yet, if I’m honest, I’ve seen this verse used as a banner to justify a kind of Christian behavior that doesn’t look anything like Christ—sharp tones, theological pride, arguments laced with condescension, and a posture that says, “I’m right, and I’ll prove it.” That kind of “contending” is not what Jude had in mind.
This is where E. Stanley Jones offers a much-needed recalibration. In his devotional, In Christ, he warns that Christianity cannot be appreciated in a spirit of contention. He writes that defending Jesus by verbal aggression is as absurd as organizing a society to protect the sun from mudslingers. The sun doesn’t need defense—it just needs to shine. The same is true of Jesus. Lift Him up, Jones says, and He will do the drawing.
So how do we reconcile these two voices—Jude’s charge to contend and Jones’s call to commend?
I think the key lies in the spirit behind the action. Jude isn’t calling us to battle people; he’s calling us to stand for the Person—the Faith Himself, Christ. And Jones isn’t saying we should remain silent in the face of error; he’s saying our defense should look like Jesus.
Contending becomes Christian when it ceases to be about proving a point and becomes about protecting a Person’s reputation. That doesn’t mean we don’t speak—but we speak as Christ in us would speak. With clarity, yes. But also with compassion, humility, and a heart that longs not to win arguments but to win people.
Jesus is not defended by our fury. He is displayed by our union with Him.
Personalized Journal Entry — In the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
I have entrusted you with truth—not as a weapon of pride, but as a message of life. Contend for the faith, not with fists clenched in self-defense, but with hands open in love. I have not called you to quarrel, but to correct with gentleness. Be wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves.
Do not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is My power for salvation to all who believe. But know this—your defense of truth must carry the aroma of Christ, or it becomes a clanging cymbal. Speak the truth in love. Defend, yes—but let your defense be filled with grace and seasoned with salt.
You are My ambassador. It is not your cleverness that convinces hearts—it is My life displayed in you. Let your gentleness be evident to all. I have given you the mind of Christ, and He did not raise His voice in the streets or crush a bruised reed. Yet He stood firm, unmoved, always lifting Me up in every word and act.
Contend with compassion. Correct with clarity. But most of all, commend Me by how you live. When I am lifted up in you, I will draw them. I always do.
(Jude 1:3; Matthew 10:16; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 13:1; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Isaiah 42:2–3; John 12:32)
Prayer — From My Heart
Father, I thank You that I no longer need to wield the truth like a sword of self-defense. You’ve given me the living Word—Christ in me—and He is enough. I trust that as I yield to You, You will guide my speech and my silence.
Let my life commend You far more loudly than my words ever could. And when I do speak, may it be from Your Spirit—calm, confident, compassionate. I praise You that defending the faith doesn’t mean striving—it means displaying Jesus, who lives in me and shines through me.
Amen.