I have a prem th9 account with TH6 point defenses, TH8 splash, 1 Lv1 xbow, pink & wooden walls at gold 1. I generally get shielded and when attacked i lost at most 2 storages. If you focus on elixer upgrades and put spare gold into defenses, you're more than strong enough to not get steamrolled.
The best defense is having no resources or just staying online.

