What Does the Bible Say About Courage and Strength?
“Be strong and of a good courage” — Scripture's strength is borrowed strength. Where the Bible says courage actually comes from.
Biblical courage is not self-confidence but God-confidence: “Be strong and of a good courage… for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). Scripture locates strength outside the self — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13) — and promises it precisely to the faint (Isaiah 40:29).
Courage with a reason attached
When God commissions Joshua — an understudy stepping into Moses’ shoes at the edge of a hostile land — he commands courage three times in four verses, and every time the ground is the same: I will be with thee. The Bible never asks anyone to be brave in a vacuum. Its courage is always relational: strength drawn from a presence, not summoned from a personality.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Strength for the faint, not the strong
Isaiah’s promise is aimed with care: God gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases strength. Even youths faint — natural vigour has a floor — but they that wait upon the LORD renew theirs. Paul learned the same equation in reverse: “when I am weak, then am I strong,” because God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The strength for all things
Philippians 4:13 is often quoted as a trophy verse, but Paul wrote it about contentment in hunger and abundance alike — the strength of Christ is stamina for any circumstance, not a guarantee of victory in every contest. The psalmist’s version is domestic and daily: God is “the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever,” even as flesh and heart fail.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Quick answers
- What is the best Bible verse for courage?
- Joshua 1:9 — “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid” — with Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 27:1, and Isaiah 41:10 alongside.
- What does Philippians 4:13 really mean?
- In context, Paul is describing contentment in every circumstance — abased or abounding — through Christ’s strength. It promises stamina for whatever God assigns, not success at whatever we attempt.
- How do I get strength from God?
- Scripture’s means are waiting on him in prayer (Isaiah 40:31), his word (Psalm 119:28), his joy (“the joy of the LORD is your strength,” Nehemiah 8:10), and honest weakness that makes room for his power (2 Corinthians 12:9).
