[Arcy]

"Don't be silly. In this situation your God knows what you really believe, right?"

The problem with your statement that "God really knows what you believe" is that we are to never bow our knee to another "god"; even at the point of a gun. When we look back at church history, all of Jesus' disciples were martyred for not "renouncing" Jesus as the Christ. During the protestant reformation, Huss, Wycliffe and others were martyred for not "renouncing" their beliefs.

To endure death for what we believe says to those who would kill us for it that we are confident in what we believe and know it to be true. It's a testimony to the truth.

[Brytani]

On the other hand, if every early Christian who's life was in danger for their beliefs (which was all until the roman empire accepted Christianity) had gone to their deaths instead of staying hidden, praying in private, not outwardly expressing their belief etc - we wouldn't be here today praising Jesus.