And Stephen gave a gospel testimony to the crowd that brought him before the Sanhedrin, and they dragged him out and stoned him.
You are right; but if Stephen had retaliated or tried to defend himself, he would have given the impression that christianity is no different from islam or other religions whose followers use force as a witness to their religion.
It all depends on how great a person’s faith is and also, what is God’s will in that particular christian’s life.
Many times in the bible, the Holy Spirit has guided christians out of danger and at other times, the Holy Spirit has allowed christians to glorify Christ through their long suffering and their ability to love their enemies even in the midst of being tortured and killed.
When a christian puts his life in God’s hands, no matter what happens, he is going to heaven as long as he does not deny Christ or do things that does not glorify God.
“For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 35-39) Amen.