I want to start this by issuing two side notes before getting into my main discourse.  One, as Christians, we are to love what God loves and hate what God hates.  And God is a God of mercy, pity, compassion, love, protection, and providence.  So we, as His children, ought to have hearts that reflect those same characteristics.  We ought to pity the poor and needy, to seek justice and compassion for the suffering and injured, and to try to offer protection and safety for those in need.  So, if we see someone being wronged, whether in a physical attack, a robbery, an assault, whatever the case may be, our desire ought to be one of deliverance, compassion and mercy (Ps. 82:3-4; Pro. 24:11-12).  But, this ought not to cancel out the other characteristics of our Christ-like behavior.  Namely, trust and faith in God, and compassion and pity even for the person doing the injustice.

In this article, I am speaking in hypotheticals.  In a real life danger situation, we may react in ways without much forethought.  But part of spiritual maturity is to have temperance or self-control.  And we ought to have our minds fixated on and saturated with the righteousness of Christ.  So that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, fleshly and reactionary emotional outbursts, do not overrule our temperate and calm nature that seeks to act in righteousness and holiness.  In a fear situation, the powerful emotion of fear may take over and cause us to act in unwholesome ways.  To strike back at those who strike us.  I am in no way saying in this article that I would not react in fear if put into that situation.  BUT, I am trying to lay out Biblical principles so that we can have our minds stayed on Christ and His righteousness, rather than momentary and reactionary emotions.  From our hearts come our actions.  And we should live in such ways, that our hearts are filled with faith, love, hope, etc.  Not fear, pride and vengeance.  And when those emotions creep in, we are to take them captive to the obedience of Christ.

I am going to lay out four points on why I think that self-defense is wrong for the Christian and is an unbiblical and unholy act. 

1. If we defend ourselves against violence, using violence to strike back, we are trusting in the flesh to defend us rather than trusting God. 

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”

Psalm 44:6-7 “For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.⁷ But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.”

Jeremiah 17:5 “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.”

Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!”

It is God Himself who is our defender.  We have committed ourselves to His care.  This is what faith is.  We are depending on Him to defend us in all our lives and to guide us in all our ways. We are trusting ourselves to His sovereign providence, knowing that He is in direct control of all things, and nothing can happen to us that He has not authorized.  To react to violence in the flesh, is to show that we are not trusting Him to defend us.  It is saying, “No God.  I don’t like what You are doing here, so I am going to take things into my own hands.”

When Jesus was threatened with death prior to His appointed times, He did not defend Himself.  He simply trusted God, and walked away.  The people that wanted to kill Him were powerless to act against Gods sovereignty (Luke 4:28-30).  Our time is appointed.  Even if a gun is pointed at your head and the trigger is pulled, if it is not your time, you will not die! (Psalm 91:7)  We must trust God in the midst of scary and difficult times.  God has pronounced woe’s and curses to those who take matters into their own hands.  To those who trust in their own flesh to save them.  We must commit ourselves to His care, He is able to deliver us!  And if He doesn’t, it is for our good and His glory and we can trust Him in that as well! (Dan. 3:17-18)

2. When we defend ourselves against violence, it is a reaction based in fear, pride, and/or vengeance.

2^nd Timothy 1:7 “ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

1^st John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Proverbs 16:5 “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”

Proverbs 6:16a “These six things doth the Lord hate:…17a A proud look”

Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

When someone is doing us harm, or threatening harm, our initial response is fear.  But fear does not come from God.  It is the opposite of faith.  Again, I turn back to Jesus as our example.  When He was threatened with death, He did not fear man, He trusted Himself to God.  A spirit of fear is a revelation of our lack of trust.  We must take that captive and bring it into the obedience of Christ.

The other reaction, although more subtly hidden, is pride.  When threatened, our sinful nature wants to rise up and show itself as self-sufficient.  Able to defend itself.  Able to assert itself.  And when it is our loved ones threatened, pride says, “These are mine!  You cannot take them from me!”  This is very difficult to see in ones own heart, so I pray that you seek it out.

And the final reaction we have is vengeance, which is tied into pride.  It is in a sense saying, “You took from me!  So I must respond.”  But the very fact that this is rooted in pride shows that it is evil.  We do not have the capability of dispensing holy justice.  It must be left to the hands of the All Holy and Righteous Father.  We must trust Him to do what is good and right in His sight, and resolve ourselves to His designs.

3. When we fight back against an attacker, we are failing to realize that it is not them that is our enemy.  They are just lost and blind vessels of the ‘god of this world.’  The prince of the power of the air that NOW works in the children of disobedience.  They are puppets led astray by the principalities and powers that work in this world.

2^nd Corinthians 4:4 “ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Human beings are lost and depraved, led astray by their own wicked hearts.  But they are not our enemies.  We were once just like them, and except for the grace of God, we would still be just like them!  The battle we face is a spiritual battle.  It is the demonic realm that influences and steers and directs these lost blind hearts that is the enemy.  To fight against the flesh is to damage a poor lost soul, who very well could be a lost brother or sister.  We must pray, and fast, and plead with God to grant them eyes to see!  To deliver them from the power of the evil one.  Not to physically hurt them.

The weapons of our warfare are spiritual, not physical.  We must USE the weapons God has given us.  Truth, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, prayer, fasting and supplications.

Ephesians 6:13-18 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

Mark 9:29 "And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."

4. My final point ties in with that last one.  As Christians, we are not to harm anyone.  Jesus taught us that to hate in our hearts is to murder!  To do injury to another human being is to attack the very image of God.  It is to say, “My safety and comfort are more important than yours!”  Christ has taught us to love, to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to show mercy and compassion and to put away our swords! 

1^st John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Matthew 5:39 “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Matthew 26:52 “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”

Romans 12:17 “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”

Romans 12:20-21 “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

The whole Christian ethos is one of mercy and forgiveness.  It is one of patience, endurance and longsuffering.  It is one of compassion and pity and love and kindness.  It is defined by turning the other cheek when struck.  To react in violence to acts of violence is the antithesis of this!  It is repaying evil with evil.  It is hating in your heart and reacting in fear.  It is drawing the sword and persecuting them who persecute you.  It ultimately shows that you HAVE been overcome by evil.  The devil and his minions have used a poor lost soul to commit acts of evil against you or your family.  And he has succeeded by overcoming you and now you are responding back in evil.  That is a victory for the dark one! NO Christian!  You must resist with love!  With compassion!  With FAITH!  By trusting your fate and the fate of your loved ones into the hands of the Father.

Psalm 82:3-4 “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.⁴ Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”

Proverbs 24:11-12 “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?”

Luke 4:28-30 “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,²⁹ And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.³⁰ But he passing through the midst of them went his way,”

Psalm 91:7 “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”

Daniel 3:17-18 “ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”