5 Bible Verses about Defense

Yahweh [is] my strength and my shield. My heart trusts him and I am helped. So my heart rejoices, and with my song I will give thanks to him. Yahweh [is] their strength, and he [is] the refuge for the salvation of his anointed one.

[As] mountains [are] round about Jerusalem, so Yahweh [is] round about his people, from now until forever.

Because Yahweh God [is] a sun and a shield; Yahweh gives grace and honor. He does not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly.

Every word of God [is] flawless; he [is] a shield for him who takes refuge in him.

For you bless [the] righteous. O Yahweh, like a shield you surround him [with] good favor.

I will say to Yahweh, "[You are] my refuge and my fortress, my God [in whom] I trust." For he will deliver you from [the] snare of [the] fowler, from [the] plague of destruction. With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you can take refuge. His faithfulness [will be] a shield and a buckler.

{For wisdom offers protection like money offers protection}. But knowledge [has] an advantage--wisdom restores life to its possessor.

And looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Men [and] brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God to this day." So the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike his mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, [you] whitewashed wall! And are you sitting [there] judging me according to the law, and acting contrary to the law do you order me to be struck?" read more.
And those who stood nearby said, "Are you reviling the high priest of God? And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You must not speak evil [of] a ruler of your people.'" Now [when] Paul realized that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he shouted out in the Sanhedrin, "Men [and] brothers! I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead!"

And [when] the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, "[Because I] know you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I defend myself cheerfully [with respect to] the things concerning myself. You can ascertain that {it has not been more than} twelve days {since} I went up to Jerusalem to worship. And neither did they find me arguing with anyone or making a crowd develop in the temple [courts] nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city. read more.
Nor can they prove [the things] to you concerning which they are now accusing me. But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things [that are] in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets, having a hope in God which these [men] also themselves await: [that] there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. {For this reason} also myself {always} do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people. So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people, in which they found me purified in the temple [courts], not with a crowd or with a disturbance. But [there are] some Jews from Asia who ought to be present before you and bring charges against [me], if they have anything against me, or these [men] themselves should say what crime they found [when] I stood before the Sanhedrin, other than concerning this one declaration that I shouted [while] standing there before them: 'I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead!'"

So Agrippa said to Paul, "It is permitted for you to speak for yourself." Then Paul extended [his] hand [and] began to defend himself: "Concerning all [the things] of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate [that] before you I am about to defend myself today, [because] you are especially acquainted with both all the customs and controversial questions with respect to the Jews. Therefore I beg [you] to listen to me with patience. read more.
"Now all the Jews know my manner of life from [my] youth, that had taken place from the beginning among my [own] people and in Jerusalem, having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived [as] a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on the basis of hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as [they] earnestly serve [him] night and day. Concerning this hope I am being accused by the Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by you [people] that God raises the dead? Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many [things] opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also [when] they were being executed, I cast [my] vote against [them]. And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often [and] tried to force [them] to blaspheme, and [because I] was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing [them] even as far as to foreign cities. In {this activity} I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and full power of the chief priests. In the middle of the day along the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, more than the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me. And [when] we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Aramaic language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? [It is] hard for you to kick against the goads!' So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, because for this [reason] I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both [to the things] in which you saw me and [to the things] in which I will appear to you, rescuing you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes [so that they] may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, [so that] they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem and all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed [that they should] repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of repentance. On account of these [things] the Jews seized me in the temple [courts] [and] were attempting to kill [me]. Therefore I have experienced help from God until this day, [and] I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what both the prophets and Moses have said were going to happen, that the Christ was to suffer [and] that [as] the first of the resurrection from the dead, he was going to proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles."

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed [done to] a sick man--by what [means] this man was healed-- let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man stands before you healthy! read more.
This one is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become {the cornerstone}. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved." Now [when they] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished, and recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.

saying, "We found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but [when we] opened [them], we found no one inside!" Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, [as to] what this might be. But someone came [and] reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple [courts] and teaching the people!" read more.
Then the captain went with the officers [and] brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned [by them]). And [when they] had brought them, they made [them] stand in the Sanhedrin, and the high priest put a question to them, saying, "{We strictly commanded} you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!" But Peter and the apostles answered [and] said, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men!

Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and to all the people, {saying}, "Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. Now {therefore} amend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of Yahweh your God, and Yahweh will relent of the disaster that he has spoken over you. But [as for] me, look, I [am] in your hand, do to me what [is] good and right in your eyes. read more.
Only you must certainly know that if you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves innocent blood, and on this city and on its inhabitants, for {truly} Yahweh sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears." Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, "{This man does not deserve} a sentence of death, for in the name of Yahweh our God, he has spoken to us."