“but sanctify the LORD God in your hearts. And always [be] ready for defense to everyone who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that [is] in you, with meekness and fear,”— 1 Peter 3:15 (LSV)
12because the eyes of the LORD [are] on the righteous, and His ears—to their supplication, but the face of the LORD [is] against those doing evil”;
13and who [is] he who will be doing you evil, if you may become imitators of Him who is good?
14But if you also should suffer because of righteousness, [you are] blessed! And do not be afraid of their fear, nor be troubled,
15but sanctify the LORD God in your hearts. And always [be] ready for defense to everyone who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that [is] in you, with meekness and fear,
16having a good conscience, so that whenever they speak against you as evildoers, they may be ashamed—[those] who are maligning your good behavior in Christ;
17for if the will of God wills it, [it is] better to suffer doing good, than doing evil;
18also because Christ suffered once for sin—righteous for unrighteous—that He might lead us to God, indeed having been put to death in the flesh, but having been made alive in the Spirit,