Is selfdefense righteous?

[zeth4500]

i mean, selfdefense, against basic assault- and against deadly assault
i believe one verse explains its a mans duty to give his family what it needs, and protection is part of that
but also that if someone strikes us we turn the other cheek and let them repeat it again so they can prove to god that theyre bad characters

 

[joestue]

If someone slaps you on the right cheek.. they did it with their left hand.

The hand they use to wpe their as with, to this day.

Its an insult. Not a threat to your life.

 

[zeth4500]

If someone slaps you on the right cheek.. they did it with their left hand.

The hand they use to wpe their as with, to this day.

Its an insult. Not a threat to your life.

what if they shoot you can you shoot them back?

 

[Garee]

i mean, selfdefense, against basic assault- and against deadly assault
i believe one verse explains its a mans duty to give his family what it needs, and protection is part of that
but also that if someone strikes us we turn the other cheek and let them repeat it again so they can prove to god that theyre bad characters

As apologist we defend that which defends us.

The living abiding word .Put on and keep on that armor .

Every religion has a hard drive as a defense made of their own oral traditons. Like the Catholics CCC. making the claim a person can serve two Devine good teaching master. The word of God (sola scriptura ) and the oral traditons of dying mankind

.It can be found in every what some call "sacred oral tradition" like that of the JWs and their oral tradition of its leader or the Mormons and their book of Mormon. which they hold above all things writen in the law and prophets (sola scriptura)

The Catholic Bible CCC (80-82) speaks of scripture and tradition in this way: “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture…are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal.

The same applies to all written creeds as personals summaries or private interpretations

 

[bdavidc]

i mean, selfdefense, against basic assault- and against deadly assault

From a biblical perspective, self-defense can be considered righteous when it aligns with the principles of preserving life and resisting evil without seeking vengeance. Scripture upholds the sanctity of life, and individuals are not condemned for taking reasonable action to protect themselves or others from harm. In Exodus 22:2, for instance, the law does not hold a person guilty for defending against a thief breaking in at night, suggesting that defense in life-threatening situations is permissible. When it comes to basic assault, responding with restraint and wisdom is encouraged, as Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:39 to "turn the other cheek," which calls for a heart inclined toward peace and mercy. However, this teaching does not necessarily prohibit all forms of defense; rather, it discourages retaliation born from pride or revenge. In the case of deadly assault, defending oneself or others to preserve life can be seen as a just response, especially when motivated by love and a desire to uphold justice, not hatred. Ultimately, the heart behind the action matters—self-defense becomes righteous when it reflects a desire to protect life without crossing into hatred, vengeance, or excessive violence.

 

[MedicBravo]

i mean, selfdefense, against basic assault- and against deadly assault
i believe one verse explains its a mans duty to give his family what it needs, and protection is part of that
but also that if someone strikes us we turn the other cheek and let them repeat it again so they can prove to god that theyre bad characters

There's common sense in this.
Word insults no matter how bad are simply that.
Threats are a different thing but with no action = empty words.
Defense of self, loved ones, and those that can NOT defend themselves.
Ex: Unborn babies. Elderly. Disabled.

Sadly, it's to the point where stopping a threat will include the death of others.
The odds of non-violent takedowns are low.

 

[zeth4500]

The living abiding word .Put on and keep on that armor .

so were only allowed to put on infinitely thick armor, hence why the pope always drives around encapsuled in bulletproof glass?

ltimately, the heart behind the action matters

i would say yes logically, our body is our temple and if we ourselves may not violate it- then we shouldnt let anyone else violate it- but can we find scripture beyond the times of moses to support this? the new testament?
i think best bet is still- being married having a duty to stay alive for your wife and family which naturally needs you

Word insults no matter how bad are simply that.

no need to defend against words, theyre just that- at worst theyre spells but you cant curse a christian, only a christian can curse himself.

Threats are a different thing but with no action = empty words.

well if someone points a gun at your head its just a slight squeeze away from death, it can even happen accidentally, thats crossing the line into needing immediate action imo

Defense of self, loved ones,

yes- but you as the man is the backbone of the family, the head of your wife- so by no means can you the man of the house be destroyed because that would cause the destruction of your loved ones as well, like a tree that falls, naturally brings down the branches as well.

 

[bdavidc]

i would say yes logically, our body is our temple and if we ourselves may not violate it- then we shouldnt let anyone else violate it- but can we find scripture beyond the times of moses to support this? the new testament?
i think best bet is still- being married having a duty to stay alive for your wife and family which naturally needs you

You're right to seek clarity from Scripture, especially from the New Testament, and it’s wise to think beyond just logic and into what God’s Word says about life, responsibility, and righteousness. While the New Testament doesn’t give us a direct command saying “defend yourself,” it absolutely affirms the value of human life and our responsibility to care for others—including ourselves and our families.

In Luke 22:36, Jesus told His disciples, “Let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.” This wasn't a call to violence, but an acknowledgment that danger exists and being prepared is not inherently unrighteous. When Peter later used a sword to strike in defense of Jesus, Christ told him to put it away—not because self-defense is always wrong, but because Jesus was willingly laying down His life to fulfill the Father's will. That was a unique situation tied to His mission to die for sinners.

Paul, too, appealed to Roman protection when he was in danger (Acts 22:25–29), showing he did not simply accept harm when it could be lawfully avoided. And 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Providing doesn’t just mean food and shelter—it includes protection. If we love our families, we will seek to guard their lives as well as our own.

So, self-defense—when it’s rooted in love, not hatred or revenge—is consistent with Scripture. It’s not about returning evil for evil (Romans 12:17), but about valuing life as God does. The key is the heart: we are called to live peaceably with all, as much as it depends on us (Romans 12:18), but protecting life, especially those entrusted to us, can be a righteous expression of that love.

 

[Garee]

so were only allowed to put on infinitely thick armor, hence why the pope always drives around encapsuled in bulletproof glass?

The armor is sola scriptura The Pope is a false teacher.

 

[Johanabrahams]

The word says it all. It is "self" defense and not God defending you. You choose. And God will respect your choice and be "hands off" when you choose to defend yourself. That is basically what happened in Ukrainian. Basically it boils down to you having a Relationships with God in being His Child and Obedient to Him and asking Him in that moment what to do or you can not ask Him. We don't live according to "recipes" but we Live in the Presence of the Living God in a Love Relationship of Father and His Child/Son in the Name of Jesus.

So in the case of David and Goliath God told David to enter the Holy War. Just as He told Moses to enter the Holy War for his Child Israel to give them a place they could call their "own". And then on the other hand He did not take up arms when He Himself could have done it.

Mat. 26:
51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
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.
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

And these "angels of war" are all very Powerful. One is enough for a whole army of humans.

Isaiah 37: 36 Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

The sad reality of human casualties are basically the Truth that they don't have a Relationship with God and "self defense" is all that is left to them.

 

[Garee]

And these "angels of war" are all very Powerful. One is enough for a whole army of humans.

The word Anglos is sent messenger (apostle human ) not the fake word angel not coined until the 10th century to give the illusion of multiple disembodied spirit gods in the likeness of men.

No such creation of angels .God is not served by the peanut galley.

He can use a Ass as a apostle to prohecy, Ass represents unbeliever.

Numbers 22:28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

 

[zeth4500]

1 Timothy 5:8

eeexactly man that was the one that echoed in my mind.

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.

take up the sword... i get from this context... to fight a war, while its not necessary to battle the world?

Soo.. what i get from all this is, its fine to acutely protect but not walk into a warzone and try to be a hero, to put up the sword, to battle large groups

just watched star wars and if you replace "the force" (first movie) you got some very firm believers, but it could also be confused with newage "you are god" mentality, although the evil forces do have a hexagram symbol and also resembles chaos magick symbolism, and naturally black uniforms

 

[amateurscholar]

You're right to seek clarity from Scripture, especially from the New Testament, and it's wise to think beyond just logic and into what God's Word says about life, responsibility, and righteousness. While the New Testament doesn't give us a direct command saying "defend yourself," it absolutely affirms the value of human life and our responsibility to care for others—including ourselves and our families.
In Luke 22:36, Jesus told His disciples, "Let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one." This wasn't a call to violence, but an acknowledgment that danger exists and being prepared is not inherently unrighteous. When Peter later used a sword to strike in defense of Jesus, Christ told him to put it away—not because self-defense is always wrong, but because Jesus was willingly laying down His life to fulfill the Father's will. That was a unique situation tied to His mission to die for sinners.
Paul, too, appealed to Roman protection when he was in danger (Acts 22:25–29), showing he did not simply accept harm when it could be lawfully avoided. And 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Providing doesn't just mean food and shelter—it includes protection. If we love our families, we will seek to guard their lives as well as our own.
So, self-defense—when it's rooted in love, not hatred or revenge—is consistent with Scripture. It's not about returning evil for evil (Romans 12:17), but about valuing life as God does. The key is the heart: we are called to live peaceably with all, as much as it depends on us (Romans 12:18), but protecting life, especially those entrusted to us, can be a righteous expression of that love.

Throughout Christian history, we've seen this tension between pacifism and protection play out in various ways. Early Christians (pre-Constantine) generally avoided violence completely, even in self-defense, seeing their witness as more important than survival. But after Christianity became more established, thinkers like Augustine developed the "just war" theory that included principles for legitimate self-defense.

What's interesting is how Scripture acknowledges our natural instinct for self-preservation without either condemning it or making it the highest value. This balanced approach helps us integrate our natural responses with spiritual principles.

I'm reminded of how Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrestled with these same questions during the Nazi regime. As a pacifist who eventually joined a plot against Hitler, he concluded that sometimes protecting others required difficult choices. The key, as you mentioned, is the heart motivation.

When I talk to families dealing with threats or danger, I emphasize this heart check: Are you motivated by fear, revenge, or by love and protection? The action might look the same externally, but the internal state makes all the difference spiritually.

The biblical examples you've cited show this nuance. Jesus instructing disciples to buy swords while also telling Peter to put his away demonstrates that Scripture doesn't give us simplistic yes/no answers but calls us to discernment in each situation. I also appreciate how you connected 1 Timothy 5:8 to protection, not just provision.

 

[Johanabrahams]

eeexactly man that was the one that echoed in my mind.

Yep. We have to work for the sake of our families as a man and not be lazy.

take up the sword... i get from this context... to fight a war, while its not necessary to battle the world?

The Holy War is a Spiritual War. And that you only enter when you become a Bride of Jehovah. After you grew up as a Child of His. Then He gives you a "White Horse" and a "Sharp Sword" which is also the Word of God. But used now to War. And you learn to use The Word of God as a Sharp Sword.

Rev. 19:
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

This Anointing was also on Jesus as The Word when He Rebuked and used the Word of God against the "beast and false prophet and those who listened to them and are on their side". [Mat. 23]

Soo.. what i get from all this is, its fine to acutely protect

Self defense is not from God. It is "self defense" that you do without God. And you turned your back on God who was there to do the Godly Defense. And you could not Trust Him to do it His Way. Like Ukrainians clearly showed us.

not walk into a warzone and try to be a hero, to put up the sword, to battle large groups

The War zone is huge. Jehovah showed us in Jesus in Mat. 23 who we war against. The beast and the false prophet and all on their side. But you only enter it as a Bride when you enter Adult Life in God. Only they are Anointed to War. And they do Conquer to the Glory of God. Even if they are only One Person and the beast and the false prophet and their followers are thousands.

 

[zeth4500]

or by love

sure- and the love for christ should always be supreme - hence why i question if its righteous, which is hard to decipher.
so its kinda like a very low tier sin to defend your life and your family..?

The Word of God as a Sharp Sword.

yes shortly before i became christian i realized the bible is basically a spellbook that works against evil spirits (and people possessed by those spirits), or maybe, command book to override suboordinates to gods power (the devil is below god, demons below the devil etc)

The War zone is huge. Jehovah showed us in Jesus in Mat. 23 who we war against. The beast and the false prophet and all on their side. But you only enter it as a Bride when you enter Adult Life in God. Only they are Anointed to War. And they do Conquer to the Glory of God. Even if they are only One Person and the beast and the false prophet and their followers are thousands.

i dont understand, you have to be specially selected to wage war against those who dont support god- but its not war im asking for its selfdefense, if i wage war then i would be leaving my wife, abandoning her and violating my vows- while im asking for selfdefense to uprighthold my vows to not leave her or let her leave this world prematurely

the bible can work to throw away people who are highly possessed, but those who are lower ranks and not controlled by either god or the devil but only influenced, low conciousness humans that sin - for instance, lets say a burglary took place and youre facing some drugged up thief with a gun- you wont have more than a minute at best to act on and praying for someone so disconnected from everything will not be the right choice, using direct physical force would however quickly turn the situation the right way

 

[backNforth]

for instance, lets say a burglary took place and youre facing some drugged up thief with a gun- you wont have more than a minute at best to act on and praying for someone so disconnected from everything will not be the right choice, using direct physical force would however quickly turn the situation the right way

Did you know that same scenario is detailed for our benefit in the Holy Bible?
(Exo. 22:1-4)

From the OP:

IS SELFDEFENSE RIGHTEOUS?​

Soo.. what i get from all this is, its fine to acutely protect

It is a required part of our walk.

 

[Garee]

the bible can work to throw away people who are highly possessed, but those who are lower ranks and not controlled by either god or the devil but only influenced, low conciousness humans that sin - for instance, lets say a burglary took place and youre facing some drugged up thief with a gun- you wont have more than a minute at best to act on and praying for someone so disconnected from everything will not be the right choice, using direct physical force would however quickly turn the situation the right way

There is no in-between (limbo)

Two possible influences sola scriptura or the oral traditions of dying mankind under the authority of the god of this world.

Three times ant the beginning of the ministry of two the dynamic dual, Father and Son of man, Jesus team.

In weakness the Son of man Jesus the apostle prophet not eating 40 days he had become delusional .

Satan the father of lying signs and wonders as if true prophecy brought the illusion of all the kingdom of this world and all their glory .The father strengthening the Son of man gave Jesus living words as it is written (sola scriptura ) again and again

Strike three back to the bottomless dugout .Never saw the faith ball (unseen things of Christ) coming

 

[zeth4500]

Did you know that same scenario is detailed for our benefit in the Holy Bible?

yes the old testament is a bit lax on killing people and punishing people by death- however when jesus came the old testament was in many ways invalidated. in the OT there are verses saying to murder people who are found guilty of practicing beastiality - but we cant go out and kill people like that based on the New Testament

There is no in-between (limbo)

i disagree, when i was taking drugs on the regular i wasnt possessed but i found christianity silly in many ways - ie, i was influenced by evil spirits to a lesser degree, but i didnt have a fullfledged demonic possession going on teleporting me outside my door without clothes on or sleepwalking or becoming violent towards christians or speaking in weird languages
the equivalent of that would be to claim that there are no demons, but only satan and that there are no ranks of the demons in hell

Never saw the faith ball (unseen things of Christ) coming

oh they know something is coming, thats why they arent just rolling it all out immediatedly, its why they built huge underground bases that are connected by superfast trains underground. they KNOW something is gonna happen

 

[Garee]

yes the old testament is a bit lax on killing people and punishing people by death- however when jesus came the old testament was in many ways invalidated. in the OT there are verses saying to murder people who are found guilty of practicing beastiality - but we cant go out and kill people like that based on the New Testament


i disagree, when i was taking drugs on the regular i wasnt possessed but i found christianity silly in many ways - ie, i was influenced by evil spirits to a lesser degree, but i didnt have a fullfledged demonic possession going on teleporting me outside my door without clothes on or sleepwalking or becoming violent towards christians or speaking in weird languages
the equivalent of that would be to claim that there are no demons, but only satan and that there are no ranks of the demons in hell


oh they know something is coming, thats why they arent just rolling it all out immediatedly, its why they built huge underground bases that are connected by superfast trains underground. they KNOW something is gonna happen

Yes, the father of lies knew something would happen. He was just not given the faith of Christ to know what or how .and is why he continued to make bad guesses.

It's easy to see Lucifer knew not which son of man would represent the Son of God. His choice was Peter the son of man used as one of the many antichrists who rebuked the unseen Holy Father and forbid the Son of man Jesus from doing the will of God.

Mathew 4:3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Mathew 4:6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge

Mathew16:22-23 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

 

[Johanabrahams]

command book to override suboordinates to gods power

Nope. It is the Life of God given to us by which we enter Relationship with Him in knowing Him as our "Abba Father/Daddy, Jehovah. Relationship depends on knowing the Person with whom you entered into one.

dont understand, you have to be specially selected to wage war against those who dont support god-

Nope. All are selected. But they have to grow up first from Baby Life to Adult Life. Then they are Taught and Anointed to War. Because God's Kids always conquers.

but its not war im asking for its selfdefense,

Yep. You are not ready for war yet. And now you should give your defense to your Dad to do. He is Able to Conquer and not you. And for Him to take over you have to Forgive in turning the other cheek, walking the second mile and giving the cloke. Then He does the revenge part. Or you can try and defend yourself and then He stands back and allow you to suffer the consequences of your lack of Faith and fighting foolishly against what you can never conquer. .

Rom. 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.
20 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.

if i wage war then i would be leaving my wife,

When you enter the Holy War they will most probable leave you as my wife and kids and friends and family and nation did. You can never leave anybody. The Holy War is for your Saving and their Saving. But most do not want to be Saved from themselves. Thus they leave you and start persecuting you as it happened with Me. Then you war for them to assist them to see they have to forgive too. Like you did. That is how you conquer. And they don't know.