Greetings Mr. Mahon and thank you for your response to my sermon. I’m sorry if you have suffered under the abusive hand of someone else. Jesus Christ suffered the same, so He understands and has compassion for you. You asked, "is it a sin to stand up for ourselves?" No, it's not a sin to defend or stand up for yourself, if done in a proper Christian manner. Jesus Christ defended Himself on many occasions. Then when it came time to for Him to fulfill His purpose He took much emotional, verbal and physical abuse to the point of death! Prior to that event, Jesus did defend Himself because it was not His time to die. In Luke 4:28-30 and in John 10:39 Jesus fled as some tried to kill Him. Fleeing is a mode of self-defense. When He was accused of breaking the law, He defended Himself John 5:15-17. When the temple was desecrated He forcefully took matters into His own hands, John 2:13-16. So in the end there’s a right way to handle all things. My message wasn’t focused towards those that have suffered abuse at the hands of others. That would be a much different focus and message, in the end we must all strive to have a balanced and sinless approach when dealing with hate filled people.