It's a question that many people have asked. As a Christian, is it right for me to defend myself? We think about scripture that instructs us to "love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek". On the other hand we read stories daily of people in our own towns being attacked and victimized. I would like to look briefly at whether Christians can defend themselves or whether they need to be pacifists.
We can look back to the Old Testament and see how Abraham reacted when Lot was captured in Genesis 14:12-15. We do not see Abraham leaving everything up to the Lord, but we see him taking his trained men and going after Lot's captors. This is an early example of Abraham using some type of force to defend others.
Some people believe things are different in New Testament times. I say that they are not, but let's look at a New Testament example. In John 18:10 we see Peter using his sword to defend Jesus. We do not see Jesus condemn Peter taking defensive measures. We see Jesus rebuke Peter for trying to stop the one thing Jesus needed to do, to die on the cross. He did not rebuke him for using the sword to defend.
We can also go to Luke 22:36 and see Jesus telling the disciples to buy swords. Here we see Jesus instructing them to equip them with some type of defensive tool.
These are only three examples from the Christian Bible, but I think it is enough to give the reader versus to provoke deeper study of the subject. The more you read on the topic the sooner you will come to realize that Christianity allows us to defend ourselves. We are never asked to become pacifists and react like sheep, allowing ourselves and others to be slaughtered. We have both the right and the duty to defend ourselves and others and yet still remain within the realm of correct Biblical interpretation.