There have been some extraordinary recent scenes of defiance in the middle of the night from Communist Party police and the faithful in the Chinese city Wenzhou, known as "the Jerusalem of China."
A church's congregation has been barricading themselves in their church, protecting it from hundreds of riot police, CNN reported.
For months, the government has destroyed hundreds of crosses and demolished scores of churches.
The faithful now live in fear.
Security footage shows government police beating and carrying away the faithful.
"What the government here is doing is barbaric," one of the congregants said. "Today we've see the fundamental symbol of our faith violated -- and it hurts us deep inside our hearts."
Still, Christians here aren't backing down, according to CNN.
"I'm going to hold the cross in my arms and protect it," another man said. "We didn't steal, we didn't rob, we didn't take drugs, so what did we do?"
The communist party says they're targeting all illegal structures - but documents reveal churches are a focus, CNN reports.
The government knows the numbers and doesn't like them.
Recent research shows there could soon be more Christians than Communist party members - and in 15 years more Christians than anywhere else.
The devout say they won't stop believing -- and defending.
