After 40 years of church/meeting attendance, I came to realize I had not been taught what Jesus taught on several subjects. This subject of bearing arms was one of them. So I did a lot of digging/searching for the truth on my own. This is what I learned from the bible.
1. Being good to the enemy is solid truth. Jesus likened it to building your house on a rock.
2. When being attacked Jesus did not defend himself. He commanded Peter to put up his sword. Hence, self-defense is not a justification for doing harm to another.
3. God-fearing people are not defenseless, we have powers in heaven which are greater than any man-made weapons. Jesus said he could have prayed for legions of angels.
4. When Jesus spoke of the one with the purse needing to buy a sword, he was indirectly referring to Judas and those like Judas. It was not a commandment given to the remaining 11 to buy themselves swords.
5. When Jesus said all who take up a sword will perish by one (he was referring to the two-edged sword that He himself would use to condemn the violent along with other ungodly souls). See Revelation 19:15-21.
To believe the words of Jesus requires faith, does it not?