Is it a sin for Christians to defend themselves? We are supposed to turn the other cheek, right? Fighting fire with fire, retaliation, or vengeance is more in line with what Jesus said in Matt 5:38-42 when he said to “turn the other cheek”. Defending oneself against both slander and physical assault is acceptable. Jesus even told his disciples to take two swords with them for the time after his ascension (Luke 22:35-38). Throughout the Bible, God instructed Israel to go to war to defend themselves; Jesus didn’t change that.