Who God is, is a warrior.Ex 15:3
NLT The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!
REV Yahweh is a man of war; Yahweh is his name.
Amazing how that is overlooked by advocates of docility and pacifism.
I think the formation of the Canon and the early church fathers role in this is worthy of consideration as well.
Thinking Christians should never resort to violence under any circumstance because God says so does not comport with God's teachings and behavior in the Old Testament.
Jesus was establishing a spiritual kingdom on Earth with his gospel and the great commission given to his Apostles. Who were formerly commanded to buy swords.
They were going to face challenges as they set out on their mission.
If all new converts were killed by pagans opposed to the gospel,how successful would they have been?
And we know pagans were opposed because many of the Apostles were martyred.
It was illegal to profess Christ in Rome until Constantine lifted the ban.
And also,I think what is often overlooked is that Jesus is the Messiah of the prophecies in the Tanakh.
That Messiah,which is Jesus,is not passive.
The early church fathers influence on the canon is worth considering too.
And let's not forget the bloody horror of the Christian crusades.
This OP issue will drag on and on if we let it. No one will budge an inch from their respective point of view.
But there is one thing to note. Consistency,sincerity, and genuine faith character.
If someone insists pacifism is absolute. And then resorts to attack language, ad hominems,to further their point.