Bible Verses for Strength and Courage

There are seasons when we simply need to be strong and brave — facing a fear, carrying a burden, standing firm when it would be easier to give up. In those moments, God's Word is a deep well of strength. Here are some of the Bible's most encouraging verses for strength and courage, and what they offer.

Strength when you have none

The first thing to know is that God's strength is for the weak, not just the strong. 'They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary.' When your own strength runs out, that's exactly where God's begins. You don't have to manufacture courage; you can draw it from him.

Courage grounded in God's presence

The Bible's call to courage almost always rests on God's presence. '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.' Courage isn't pretending you're not afraid; it's remembering who goes with you. You are not facing it alone.

A hand that holds you

One of the most steadying promises for fearful moments is God's assurance to uphold us: 'Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.' When you feel you might fall, God promises to hold you up with his own hand.

Strength for anything

And when the task ahead feels beyond you, there's the great promise of Philippians: 'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' It's not a promise of superhuman success, but of a strength supplied by Christ to face and endure whatever comes. Whatever you must do today, you don't do it in your own power alone.

How to use these verses

When you need strength and courage, don't just read these verses once — carry them. Memorise one, write it where you'll see it, and pray it back to God in the moment you're afraid. Let them remind you that your courage rests not on your own resources but on the God who is with you, strengthens you, and holds you up.

For strength and courage, the Bible points us not to our own grit but to God — who renews the weary, goes with us into what we fear, holds us up when we might fall, and strengthens us for whatever we must face. Take these verses to heart the next time you need to be brave. The God who commanded Joshua to 'be strong and of a good courage' offers you the same strength, and the same reason for it: he is with you.