Believers in Christ are divided on this question. Some believe they have every right to defend themselves and their family if they are being threatened with bodily injury or possibly death. Others believe Scripture plainly teaches that a believer living in this “Day of Grace” should never take up arms to defend themselves for any reason. Both point to various scriptures to defend their view. We will consider the scriptures they use and then try to draw a conclusion.

Those who advocate self-defense point to Exodus 22:2, “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.” This is a case where one is not only intending to steal from you but is causing a real threat to one’s life. Now let us read Proverbs 6:30-31, “People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house.” In this case the thief poses no direct threat and as a believer we may pity him in his dire circumstances, yet we would still hold him responsible for stealing. Another verse that seems to justify self-defense is Luke 22:36 where Jesus told His disciples, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and HE WHO HAS NO SWORD, LET HIM sell his garment and BUY ONE.” Up until now, Jesus had provided for their temporal needs and protected them from evil men, but soon He would be arrested and crucified (see Matthew 17:22-23) and they would need to provide for their own needs, including protection from those who would threaten them. But even here one must use discretion for shortly after this Peter used his sword to cut off someone’s ear and the Lord rebuked him for it since he was NOT being threatened (Luke 22:49-51).

Those who espouse the view that there is never a situation where we should take up arms to defend ourselves point to the passage you refer to; namely, Matthew 5:38-39, which reads, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” They are quite dogmatic in saying that “This clearly teaches it was wrong to harm someone, even in self-defense. We are to show them the love and grace of Christ and thus we are to ‘turn the other cheek.’” This may sound plausible, but those who believe in self-defense would say they are taking this verse too far and that Jesus was speaking in the context of “personal slights and offenses,” not in the case of one seeking to kill you. Exodus 20:13 is another verse they use: “You shall not murder.” But that could be easily challenged by pointing out that “Self-defense is not the same as murder. Murder is a premeditated act where you purposely take the life of another without just cause, whereas self-defense is an act where you are protecting yourself with no thought of killing someone.”

It is obvious that I “lean towards the first view,” but I respect my fellow-believer’s conscience and personal belief in never taking up arms to defend yourself. I started out by saying Christians are divided on this question BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE. One must have the FAITH to act in either case. Romans 14:22 states, “Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” But this fact brings up another question for those who believe we should always “turn the other cheek.” What if you are a husband and a father and your family is being threatened with their life and they don’t believe, as you do, that we should NOT defend ourselves? Do you have an obligation to protect them in this case? I will close by quoting two verses: “Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked…Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter” (Psalm 82:4 & Proverbs 24:11).  (DO)  (613.5)