“If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also.” – Matthew 5:39
For centuries, Christians have wrestled with one question: Does following Jesus mean we should never fight back?
At first glance, Matthew 5 seems to say yes. Jesus tells His followers not to resist an evil person and to turn the other cheek. Some have interpreted this to mean Christians should quietly accept evil, injustice, and persecution.
But is that really what Christ meant? I do not believe so.
That detail matters. In the world Jesus was speaking to, a slap on the right cheek was not usually a normal punch between two equal opponents. For a right-handed person, striking someone on the right cheek would most likely be a backhanded slap. It was meant to shame and humiliate.
Turning the other cheek was not weakness. It was a bold refusal to accept the insult. It forced the aggressor to either stop or respond differently, no longer as someone casually shaming a person beneath him. In that moment, the person being struck refused to let the aggressor define his honor.
The key is understanding one word that appears throughout Scripture: meekness.
Today, meekness is often confused with weakness. But in the Bible, meekness never means being timid, passive, or afraid. Meekness is strength under control. It is possessing the ability to fight while choosing wisdom over uncontrolled anger.
One scene from Braveheart illustrates this idea. After English soldiers murder Wallace’s wife, he later confronts the man responsible. The scene turns violent, but Wallace does not delight in cruelty. He confronts grave injustice with controlled force. Braveheart is a work of historical fiction, not Scripture. Still, the scene shows an important distinction: strength does not require uncontrolled hatred.
Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly calls ordinary men to become courageous defenders of justice. King David was first a shepherd before becoming Israel’s greatest warrior king. He defeated the giant Goliath when everyone else was afraid to fight. Later, David led Israel through numerous military campaigns against the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, and Arameans, often against overwhelming odds. Ancient warfare was brutal.
In David’s time, soldiers fought face-to-face with swords, spears, arrows, and their hands. Yet Scripture describes David as “a man after God’s own heart,” not because he loved violence, but because he trusted God and defended His people.
This raises another important question. If one of the Ten Commandments says, “You shall not murder,” how could God command Israel to fight wars?
Because Scripture distinguishes between murder and killing. Murder is the intentional and unlawful taking of innocent human life, driven by hatred, malice, or selfish gain. Throughout the Bible, however, God also recognizes situations involving self-defense, lawful government, and wars fought to protect the innocent or preserve justice. These are not presented as acts of personal vengeance but as responsibilities carried out under moral authority.
Gideon defeated an overwhelming Midianite army with only 300 men, not because they were the strongest, but because they trusted God more than themselves.
Again and again, Scripture shows that courage and faith often walk together. Does this mean Christians should seek violence? Absolutely not.
The Bible never celebrates hatred, revenge, or cruelty. Instead, it presents the principle that force may be used in defense of justice, protection of the innocent, and resistance against evil, but never for selfish ambition or personal revenge.
That brings us to another difficult question. If we are called to stand against evil, why are we also commanded to love our enemies?
Because loving your enemy does not mean surrendering to him. It means refusing to hate him while refusing to let evil win. You can pray for someone while stopping them from hurting others. You can forgive someone while still holding them accountable. Mercy is not the absence of justice. Mercy is justice without hatred. Even Christ demonstrated this balance.
He willingly submitted to His Father’s will, even to the point of the Cross. Yet He never surrendered to evil. He confronted hypocrisy, rebuked false teachers, defended truth, and overturned the tables of those who had corrupted God’s temple.
Christ was gentle with the broken. In the presence of corruption, He was fearless. The modern belief that Christians should remain silent while evil spreads is difficult to reconcile with Scripture. God never calls His people to become cowards. He calls them to become courageous men and women whose strength is governed by love.
The world does not need more angry warriors. It also does not need more passive spectators. It needs Christians who possess both the heart of Christ and the courage of David. Sometimes the greatest act of love is not stepping aside. Sometimes the greatest act of love is standing between evil and the innocent and refusing to move.
In the end, turning the other cheek was never about surrendering truth. It was about refusing to let hatred control your heart while courage continues to guide your hands.
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About Future Voices
Future Voices is a Sunday-morning column in The Dallas Express in which young Texans share how faith and perseverance shape their lives. These stories remind readers that God often speaks through the honesty and courage of the next generation.
