John 15:26
But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness to Me.
In John’s Gospel, one of the favorite titles for the Holy Spirit is “Paraclete” or “Counselor.” The term is taken from law and refers to a defense attorney. The question naturally arises: What exactly do we need defending from? Some people have the notion that the Spirit defends us from God the Father and pleads our cause before His Tribunal that would otherwise convict us of sin. But this is a rather schizoid picture of God since the Spirit “proceeds from the Father” and is of one substance with Him. Rather, the Spirit defends us from the world, the flesh, and the devil. For God is with us, not against us. That is why His name is Emmanuel, God with us.
