What is Christianity’s stance on defending oneself, family, and homeland?

True believers believe in the unity of life; their faith is not separate from their actions, so they do not have different personalities, one for church and another in public. In order for the Christian to be successful and compliant to society’s laws, he must be familiar with these

1135 Didache 1.1–4 (LCL 24:417–419).

1136 St. Ambrose of Milan, Duties of the Clergy 1.28.130. (NPNF II/10:22).

1137 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 45.7 (NPNF I/6:408).

laws and obedient to them as he is obedient to God’s commandment, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17).

Also, we often find that the secular laws that govern us are in line with the teachings of the Bible and of our Church, as Paul the Apostle says: “the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Rom. 13:1). Christianity calls for love and forgiveness, but also calls for the rule of law, urging the Christian to resort to the law in administering his affairs. If someone is a victim of injustice, it is his right to ask for justice through secular legal channels.

In ancient times, initiating legal action was stipulated in Jewish Law (Deut. 17:8–9). The Roman law also allowed its citizens to raise their claims to the emperor if they were not satisfied with the rulings of their districts and provinces, and thus did St. Paul raised his plea to Caesar (Acts 11:25).

In other cases, we find the Christian in a position of defending himself or his relatives or his country, confronting danger, and not being able to wait for the state’s authorities, so as not to lose his life or the life of his relatives. In such cases, the person is not to blame, whether legally or from the perspective of faith.