Did Jesus Use Self-Defense? What Can We Learn From the Scriptures?

The Crowd With Stones in Their Hands (John 8:1–11)

A woman is thrown at his feet. The law says she should be stoned. Men grip rocks in their fists. The crowd is seconds away from bloodshed.

Jesus bends down, writes in the dust, and then says:

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

The mob scatters. No argument. No fight. Just a sentence that exposed their hypocrisy and defused the violence.

The Trap of the Trick Question (Mark 12:13–17)

The Pharisees and Herodians tried to corner Jesus: “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” (Mark 12:14)

Say “yes,” and he loses the crowd. Say “no,” and Rome calls him a traitor. Instead, he asks for a coin:

“Whose image is this?” … “Caesar’s.”
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Mark 12:16–17

The trap collapses. With wisdom and reframing, Jesus walked out untouched.

The Sword in the Garden (Matthew 26:47–56; John 18:10–11; Luke 22:47–51)

In Gethsemane, soldiers came to arrest him. Peter, panicking, drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (John 18:10).

“Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Matthew 26:52

Then—astonishingly—he healed the injured man (Luke 22:51). Even in the face of armed arrest, Jesus refused escalation.

What This Means for Us

Over and over, Jesus showed that self-defense doesn’t always mean striking back. Sometimes it means:

• Disarming mobs with words (John 8:7).
• Sidestepping traps with wisdom (Mark 12:17).
• Restraining allies from violence (Matthew 26:52).
• Walking away from danger when necessary (John 10:39).
• Healing rather than harming (Luke 22:51).

This isn’t passivity. It’s strength under control—the ability to face danger without losing yourself to fear or anger.

The Lesson Hidden in Plain Sight

Jesus’ example suggests that true self-defense often begins before fists fly or weapons are drawn. It begins in the heart, the voice, and the choices we make in heated moments. The restraint that looks like weakness is, in fact, a deeper kind of power.

De-escalation requires from us a sense of appreciation for life and others even if they are possibly dangerous, even if they rub us the wrong way. I like to practice this. I imagine that a specific person I see is going to insult me, possibly push me - or my friend or my wife. And I think about my response, my reaction. Would I spontaneously calm the situation and make us safer? Or ramp up the tension even more?

Because we typically don't care about strangers, it is tempting to want to be respected. To show force, especially with a stranger that looks vulnerable. When I play these scenarios, I realize that I may not always be ready for de-escalation...

We never know what the other person is going through, or is fed up of living... no need to find out. Find your 'canned responses'. It is better to practice in our head first.

I also can appreciate: “Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.” (Proverbs 25:26). A balance is needed. Self-defense is often about avoiding a physical conflict all together.