Do Good to Those Who Hate You

Are Christ’s injunctions in the Sermon on the Mount to be applied literally? Are these practical commandments, showing us how we are to live? Are we really to do good to our enemies and to help them, when they are in need? Should we really refuse to fight in war against them and to kill them? Are there any practical biblical examples which explain Christ’s Words more fully? Didn’t Christ Himself resort to violence, and didn’t He bring a sword?