Introduction
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the decision to hold on because God is present. These 25 verses, quoted from the World English Bible, explore five sides of this strength: God's presence that goes with you, the strength he gives to the weary, boldness in the face of fear and opposition, the battle that belongs to him, and perseverance in your mission. Read them in hard moments, or pick one to memorize for the week.
God is with you wherever you go
1. Joshua 1:9
"Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua has just succeeded Moses and must lead a people toward a land held by enemies. God repeats the command to him: “Be strong and courageous.” This courage is not natural boldness. It rests on a promise: Yahweh your God is with him “wherever you go.” Read all of Joshua 1.
2. Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you."
Moses speaks to the people just before he dies, as the Israelites are about to enter Canaan without him. He promises them that Yahweh himself “goes with you.” Facing more numerous opponents, the real source of courage is knowing that God will not leave you alone. Read all of Deuteronomy 31.
3. Isaiah 41:10
"Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."
God speaks to an exiled and discouraged people. He strings promises together: “I am with you,” I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you. The remedy for fear is not an effort of will, but the presence of a God who acts and whose right hand is victorious. Read all of Isaiah 41.
4. Psalm 27:1
"Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?"
David is thinking of his enemies, but he begins with a declaration about God, not about himself: Yahweh is “my light and my salvation.” As light drives out shadow, God's presence makes fears smaller. Asking “Whom shall I fear?” puts threats back to their true size. Read all of Psalm 27.
5. Psalm 118:6
"Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
This psalm of praise recalls a rescue lived out under the pressure of the nations. The believer concludes without hesitation: “Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid.” The question that follows does not deny the danger. It puts the fear of people in perspective next to the power of a God who takes your side. Read all of Psalm 118.
The strength God puts at your disposal
6. Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
Paul writes from prison, after saying he has learned to live in plenty as well as in need. That “all things” does not mean everything I dream of. It means every situation God allows. The strength comes from “Christ, who strengthens me,” not from our abilities. Read all of Philippians 4.
7. Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint."
The prophet speaks to a people worn out by exile, who think God has forgotten them. Even the youths “faint and get weary,” he reminds them, but those who wait for Yahweh “will renew their strength.” Courage is not reserved for the strong. It is offered to those who admit their weariness and lean on God. Read all of Isaiah 40.
8. Ephesians 6:10
"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might."
Paul opens the description of God's armor with this command. He does not say to be strong in yourself, but “be strong in the Lord.” The source is outside you: “the strength of his might.” Before fighting, you begin by placing yourself under Christ's power, and the rest follows. Read all of Ephesians 6.
9. 2 Corinthians 12:9
"He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me."
Paul asked God to remove a thorn in his flesh, and the answer was no. Instead, God tells him: “My grace is sufficient for you.” His weakness becomes a place where “the power of Christ may rest on me.” Christian courage does not hide fragility. It discovers God's strength there. Read all of 2 Corinthians 12.
10. Psalm 73:26
"My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Asaph nearly stumbled when he saw the wicked prosper, then he entered the sanctuary and saw rightly again. He admits that “My flesh and my heart fails,” but God remains “the strength of my heart.” When your own strength runs out, he is still the one who holds you up. Read all of Psalm 73.
The courage to stand firm against fear
11. 2 Timothy 1:7
"For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control."
Paul writes to Timothy, a young leader tempted to timidity in the face of pressure and the shame of the gospel. He reminds him of what God has put in him: “God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.” So courage is not a personality trait reserved for a few. It is a gift of the Spirit. Read all of 2 Timothy 1.
12. Psalm 31:24
"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh."
This psalm of David is born in distress, but it ends with an encouragement addressed to the whole assembly: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage.” Courage is tied to hope: “all you who hope in Yahweh” have a solid reason to hold on. You can say it to yourself. Read all of Psalm 31.
13. 1 Corinthians 16:13
"Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!"
Paul ends his letter to the Corinthians, a divided and tempted church, with a few short, almost military orders. The first is “Watch!” then come standing firm in the faith, being courageous and being strong. Courage is lived day by day: staying alert, not giving in, not shrinking back from your responsibilities. Read all of 1 Corinthians 16.
14. Acts 4:29-30
"Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus."
Peter and John have just been threatened by the authorities, who forbid them to speak about Jesus. The church prays, and it does not ask to escape difficulty. It asks to speak God's word “with all boldness.” It is a good model: pray not for the threats to disappear, but to receive the boldness to stay faithful. Read all of Acts 4.
15. John 16:33
"I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world."
Jesus speaks to his disciples the night before his death. He does not hide the difficulty: “In the world you have trouble.” Then comes the word of courage: “cheer up! I have overcome the world.” The peace he gives does not come from a life without trials, but from his victory already won. Read all of John 16.
The battle belongs to Yahweh
16. Exodus 14:14
"Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still."
The Hebrews have just left Egypt, but they are trapped between the sea and Pharaoh's army. Moses does not ask them to fight: “Yahweh will fight for you.” There are moments when courage means staying still and trusting, rather than stirring up more activity. Read all of Exodus 14.
17. Zechariah 4:6
"Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies."
Zerubbabel has to rebuild the temple despite opposition and a lack of resources. God tells him that victory will come not by human might or power, but by his Spirit. For any hard mission, the first need is not resources. It is depending on the Spirit. Read all of Zechariah 4.
18. Romans 8:37
"No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Paul has just listed the worst trials imaginable: distress, persecution, famine, sword. In spite of it all, he declares that we are “more than conquerors.” This victory does not depend on our performance. It comes through “him who loved us.” It is Christ's love, not our courage, that secures the outcome of the battle. Read all of Romans 8.
19. 1 John 4:4
"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world."
John writes to Christians troubled by false teachers. To reassure them, he reminds them of their identity: “You are of God,” and they have already won this battle. You do not fight with your own resources alone: “greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” Read all of 1 John 4.
20. Daniel 11:32
"He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong, and take action."
Daniel describes a time of persecution when many give in to flattery. The verse announces that “the people who know their God will be strong, and take action.” Courage has a precise source here: knowing God. Those who have spent a long time with him stand firm when others let themselves be seduced. Read all of Daniel 11.
Persevering in your mission without growing weary
21. 1 Chronicles 28:20
"David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed; for Yahweh God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of Yahweh’s house is finished."
David hands the temple project over to his son Solomon, still young and probably anxious. He tells him: “Be strong and courageous, and do it.” Courage goes through action. The promise that comes with it is reassuring: God will not forsake him “until all the work” is finished. Read all of 1 Chronicles 28.
22. Habakkuk 3:19
"Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and enables me to go in high places. For the music director, on my stringed instruments."
Habakkuk has just described an economic catastrophe and knows that judgment is coming. Yet he ends his prayer by saying, “Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength.” He compares this strength to the feet of deer, able to leap over rocks. When the terrain is hard, God gives you the feet to move forward on it. Read all of Habakkuk 3.
23. 1 Samuel 30:6
"David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God."
David comes back to Ziklag and finds the city burned and the families taken. His men talk of stoning him. At his lowest point, “David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.” When others turn against you, courage is first found again in your relationship with God. Read all of 1 Samuel 30.
24. Ephesians 3:16
"that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,"
Paul prays for Christians whom his own sufferings might discourage. He asks that they be “strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person.” Courage begins there, in secret, before it shows on the outside. Renewed inner strength then lets you stand firm in circumstances. Read all of Ephesians 3.
25. Colossians 1:11
"strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,"
Paul prays for the Colossians that they may be strengthened by God's power. The intended result is surprising: not great feats, but “endurance and perseverance,” and that “with joy.” True courage is often a quiet endurance, fed by God's strength, day after day. Read all of Colossians 1.
Further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bible verse gives courage in hard times?
Joshua 1:9 is the most quoted: God commands you to be strong and courageous and promises to be with you wherever you go. Isaiah 41:10 and Psalm 27:1 are also precious when fear comes back. Pick one, write it down and reread it every morning until it becomes a reflex.
Where do you find strength when you are exhausted?
Isaiah 40:29-31 is written for those who can't go on: God gives power to the weak. Paul adds in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that his power is made perfect in weakness. Admit your limit, pray, then move forward one step at a time.
Does having courage mean not being afraid?
No. The people of the Bible felt fear: David in Psalm 56, Joshua at the death of Moses. Courage means continuing in spite of fear, leaning on God's presence. That is why Scripture so often repeats “Don’t be afraid,” because fear is very real.
to take notes and ask questions.