In exploring the theme of holy defiance, we looked at what that means in practical terms. Defiance (bold disobedience or resistance) is often seen as negative, and to defy God is a dangerous thing. However, we do need to have a holy defiance that resists the enemy’s claims and lies. We need to have:
- a willingness to fight a spiritual battle (Eph 6:10-20, 2 Cor 10:3-6)
- a casting aside of things which used to control us (Rom 6:11-14)
- a righteous anger (getting angry enough to win against your enemy) (see 1 Sam 17:45-47)
- a bravery towards the enemy (see 1 Sam 17:45-47, Dan 3:16-18)
- a resistance to being conquered (Rom 6:1-23)
So often we follow the line of least resistance, perhaps believing in the Borg’s dictum ‘Resistance is futile.’ Nothing could be further from the truth, however.
Paul tells us, ‘No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’ (Rom 8:37) As J. B. Phillips puts it, we are ‘knocked down but never knocked out’ (2 Cor 4, J. B. Phillips) We need to absorb the truths of these verses and see that ‘the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.’ (Ps 129:4)
Rend Collective explore this theme in their song ‘More Than Conquerors’:
‘We will not bow to sin or to shame.
We are defiant in Your name.
You are the fire that cannot be tamed.
You are the power in our veins:
Our Lord, our God, our Conqueror.
No surrender, no retreat:
We are free and we’re redeemed.
We will declare over despair,
“You are the hope.”’ (‘More Than Conquerors’, Rend Collective)