Defiance is generally thought of in negative terms. Since it means ‘open resistance’ or ‘direct disobedience’, we usually think of it as something to be avoided. As a teacher for many years, defiant students were often the hardest to teach: they would openly flout authority, rebel for the sake of it and refuse to listen to reason or persuasion. As a parent, a defiant child is equally hard to train, and the ongoing battles can be wearisome, to say the least.
But there are times when perhaps defiance is not so negative, when we need to take a stand for what is right and good and pure, for example. We do need to directly disobey the lies of the enemy in order to obey God’s Word; we do need to resist temptation if we are to overcome it, rather than lying down passively and saying, in Borg-like fashion, ‘resistance is futile.’ This kind of ‘good’ defiance is captured in Rend Collective’s ‘More Than Conquerors’:
‘We will not bow to sin or to shame
We are defiant in Your name.’
There are times when we need to challenge the assumptions of the world and the lies of the enemy. We need to declare boldly all that God has done and not be silent. Matt Redman’s song ‘Louder’ has a little of this defiance in it. We won’t be silent. The greater the storm, the louder our song will be, for we have a God who gives faith and joy even in adversity. Ps 149:6-9 indicates that praise is a powerful spiritual weapon. Let’s lift our voices in defiance of the enemy’s lies and stand firm on the truth of God’s Word, singing and shouting of our glorious God.
‘There’s a song that cannot be contained ;
There’s a shout that breaks through every chain
God, we won’t be silent
There’s a faith that rises through the flames
There’s a joy that chases the dark away
God, we won’t be silent
And the greater the storm
The louder our song
We lift our voices, lift our voices
Make Your praise so glorious, glorious
We lift our voices, lift our voices
Make Your praise so glorious
There’s a faith that rises through the flames
There’s a joy that chases the dark away
God, we won’t be silent.’ (‘Louder’, Matt Redman)