I remember hearing, in the early 1970s, a popular song on the radio by Helen Reddy, an Australian singer-songwriter. That was during the heart of the post-sixties countercultural movement in America, and I confess to not paying a lot of attention to most of the popular music during that period. But the song—“I Am Woman”—caught my attention because of the opening line that mentions women roaring and the chorus that talks about women being strong and invincible.

The song eventually became an anthem for the women’s liberation and empowerment movement—a kind of “We’re here, and no one’s going to keep us down anymore” statement. That song, and the movement it supported, caught the attention of the culture at that time. But I don’t want to focus on either in this article.

Instead, I want to note the use of the word roar as a way to garner attention, display courage, and make a statement. Consider how lions in the African Serengeti use their roar for the same purposes. This vast plain in Tanzania is home to a large portion of Africa’s lion population—more than three thousand lions that live in social groups called prides. And they are known for their roar—even the Bible takes note of the lion’s roar (Psalm 22:13; Proverbs 28:15; Ezekiel 22:25; 1 Peter 5:8).

Why do lions roar? Communication is the obvious reason. But what are they communicating? They roar to defend their territory, they roar to keep in touch with other pride members, they roar to intimidate and scare off intruders who invade their territory, and they roar to bind their pride together via social cohesion, allowing other lions to assess the strength of the pride. Lions have unique, square vocal cords that produce resonant and loud vibrations with a minimum of lung exertion—producing roars that can be heard up to five miles away.

If I had to assign a character trait to lions and their roars, I would choose courage. Not only do they communicate courage with their roars, but they also back up their “bark” with a fearsome “bite.” Though there are some animals they have a hard time subduing—giraffe, Cape buffalo, elephant, rhinoceros, crocodile, and even the diminutive honey badger—their failure is rarely due to a lack of courage.

For lions—and for us as Christians—courage is important at two times: before a crisis and during a crisis. Let’s look at how courage plays a role in both circumstances.

Anatomy of a Crisis

Many biblical characters displayed profound courage in the midst of a crisis—none so plainly as Daniel and his three friends during their captivity in Babylon.

Daniel’s Circumstances. When Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem, there were three deportations of Jews: 605 B.C., 597 B.C., and 586 B.C. (the year Jerusalem was destroyed). Daniel and his three friends were among those deported in 605. As young men of noble position in Jerusalem, they were identified for training and service in the court of the king of Babylon.

Daniel found himself in a crisis of faith and conscience. He was a faithful Jew who was, against his will, being groomed to serve a pagan king and conform to a religious and cultural life that would no doubt violate his beliefs. Convictions and courage were two attributes the Babylonians could not strip him of.

Daniel’s Convictions. As soon as they arrived in Babylon, the convictions of Daniel and his friends were put to the test. More than once Daniel was told to do things that would violate his beliefs—like eating a royal diet that was contrary to his Jewish practice or being forbidden to pray to his God, the God of Israel. We know Daniel had strong convictions about his faith and practice since he refused to participate in these pagan practices. The book of Daniel doesn’t record any vacillation on his part; he knew what to do as soon as the crises arose. That’s how we know his convictions were strong, embedded deep in his heart.

Daniel’s Courage. Courage has been defined as faith that has said its prayers—the ability to act in the face of fear or strength when confronting danger or possible harm. When it came to the dietary directives, Daniel courageously proposed a successful creative alternative. When it came to the ban on his prayers, he refused to stop—and was thrown into a den of lions as a result, only to be protected and delivered by God. In these crises and others Daniel demonstrated the kind of courage that manifested his strong convictions.

Daniel’s Companions. Daniel’s three friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—faced crises of their own. Following the diet crisis, they later refused to bow down and worship a giant image of gold and were cast into a furnace of fire. They declared that God was able to save them, but even if He didn’t, they would not bow down and worship the image. Their courage was manifested before they knew the outcome of their convictions.

Crises often arise quickly in life. Having the courage to act faithfully means having already anticipated the crisis before it unfolds.

Anticipating a Crisis

Daniel and his three friends knew what they believed before they ever arrived in Babylon. They certainly didn’t know exactly what they would encounter, but they surely knew their faith and obedience would be tested. Only strong convictions could have prepared them for the crises they encountered.

What are the sources of convictions and courage?

The Source of Convictions. After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost, the city of Jerusalem was in a state of crisis. The apostles were being persecuted by the religious leaders for doing what Jesus had done: preaching, teaching, and healing. When Peter and John were jailed and then brought before the leaders who told them to stop talking about Jesus, they replied, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20, emphasis added).

What was the source of their convictions? They had been with Jesus and had seen His works and heard His words. They were eyewitnesses to the truth, and that truth could not be taken away from them. Later when they were jailed again and commanded to cease their preaching, they replied, “We ought to obey God rather than men.... And we are His witnesses” (Acts 5:29, 32). As witnesses who had seen and heard what Jesus did and said, they could not “unsee” or “unhear” what they had seen and heard.

How do we who are not eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry develop those same strong convictions? “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). In the Bible, we have a record of Jesus’ words and works as well as what God has done. We develop convictions through the faithful studying of God’s Word. We may not have been eyewitnesses, but we have the faithful record of those who were.

The Source of Courage. I said in the previous article that persistence is born out of conviction—and the same is true of courage. What would be the point in acting courageously on behalf of an idea that you don’t really believe? That is one of the primary arguments for the fact that Christ rose from the dead—the apostles would not have been willing to die for something they did not believe was literally true. They knew Christ had been resurrected; they were witnesses to that fact. And their courage was simply the manifestation of their convictions.

You don’t have to roar like a lion to demonstrate your courage when faced with a crisis. But if you know what you believe, your courage will manifest itself with lion-like boldness. Remember: The middle of a crisis is not the time to decide what you believe; crises don’t usually allow that luxury. You need to anticipate the crises that will surely arise in life and have your convictions settled so that like Daniel and the apostles your courage will not be a question.

How would you have responded if you were in Daniel’s or the apostles’ shoes? Don’t wait to find out. Decide today what you believe!