Bible Verses for Fear: 20 Scriptures for When You Need Courage

"Do not fear" appears over 300 times in the Bible. Not because God is annoyed by your fear. Because he knows you will face it constantly, and he wants you prepared. These are 20 of the most powerful Bible verses for fear, with honest context about who wrote them and what they were facing when they did.

Most "Bible verses for fear" articles give you a list of references with no context. You copy them into your notes app, feel slightly better for an hour, and then fear returns at 2 AM with the same force it had before.

This is different. Every verse here includes the story behind it: who said it, what they were going through, and why it matters for the specific kind of fear you are facing right now.

Fear Is Not a Faith Failure

Let's start with something the church does not say often enough: being afraid does not mean you lack faith.

Every major figure in the Bible experienced fear. Moses was afraid to confront Pharaoh. David was afraid hiding in caves. Elijah ran from Jezebel and asked God to let him die. Peter sank in the water because fear overtook him. Paul admitted to arriving in Corinth "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling" (1 Corinthians 2:3, NASB).

These are not minor characters. These are the pillars of the faith. And they were afraid.

"Do not fear" is the most repeated command in Scripture. God does not repeat things because they are easy. He repeats them because they are necessary. He says "do not fear" hundreds of times because he knows you will need to hear it hundreds of times. That is not impatience. That is love.

God does not say "don't feel fear." He says "don't let fear have the final word." There is a massive difference between those two things. One is an impossible demand. The other is an invitation to trust someone bigger than the thing scaring you.

What the Bible Actually Teaches About Fear

Fear of God vs. Fear of Circumstances

The Bible talks about two very different kinds of fear. Confusing them causes real problems.

"The fear of the LORD" is reverent awe. It is standing before the God who made galaxies and recognizing you are small, that he is good, and that his wisdom exceeds yours. This fear is healthy. Proverbs 9:10 calls it "the beginning of wisdom."

Fear of circumstances is the kind these verses address. The fear of what might happen. The fear of loss, failure, rejection, the unknown, the diagnosis, the phone call, the conversation you have been avoiding. This fear is not sinful, but it is not meant to rule you.

The verses below are weapons against the second kind of fear, spoken by a God who understands both.

Courage Is Not the Absence of Fear

Joshua 1:9, one of the most quoted verses about courage, was spoken to a man who had just lost his mentor Moses and was about to lead an entire nation into enemy territory he had never set foot in. Joshua was not confident. He was terrified. God's instruction was not "stop being afraid." It was "be strong and courageous," which only makes sense if Joshua was already afraid. Courage is what you do while afraid.

David faced Goliath with a sling and five stones. He had no armour. He was a teenager. Every soldier in Israel's army had refused the fight. David was not fearless. He was convinced that the God who had helped him kill a lion and a bear would help him kill a giant. That is not the absence of fear. That is fear submitted to a bigger reality.

If you are afraid right now, you are in excellent company.

Verses for When Fear Hits at Night

Nighttime fear is its own category. The house is quiet, but your mind is loud. Here are five verses for those hours.

1. Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You." (NASB)

David wrote this while captured by the Philistines in Gath. He was not safe. He was not free. He was a prisoner in enemy territory. And he did not write, "I am never afraid." He wrote, "When I am afraid." The word "when" is permission. Fear will come. The question is where you put your weight when it does. David put his in God.

2. Psalm 91:5 "You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day." (NASB)

This psalm was likely written during a time of plague or military threat. "Terror by night" is not a metaphor. It is the real, physical danger of not knowing what will come while you sleep. The promise is not that threats disappear. The promise is that your fear of them does not have to control you, because you dwell "in the shelter of the Most High" (Psalm 91:1).

3. Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?" (NASB)

David asks two rhetorical questions. If God is your light, who can put you in the dark? If God is your defence, who can get through? The answer is implied: no one. Not the fear that whispers at midnight. Not the scenario you cannot stop replaying. Not the worst-case outcome your brain has constructed. No one.

4. Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (NASB)

The reason God gives for not fearing is not "because things will get better." The reason is presence. "I am with you." Then he stacks three promises: strengthen, help, uphold. He is not asking you to white-knuckle your way through fear. He is saying he will physically hold you up. If your fear keeps you awake at night, this verse says God is awake too, and he is holding you.

5. Psalm 4:8 "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." (NASB)

"You alone" is the key phrase. Not locked doors. Not a resolved to-do list. Not the absence of threats. God alone provides the safety that makes sleep possible. If you are lying awake right now with fear pressing on your chest, this is a verse you can whisper into the dark. Bible verses for anxiety covers nighttime worry in more depth if that is your primary struggle.

Verses for When the Future Feels Terrifying

Maybe your fear is not about tonight. Maybe it is about next month, next year, or a future you cannot see or control.

6. Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" (NASB)

This verse is quoted everywhere, usually on graduation cards. But here is the context most people miss: God spoke these words to people whose city had been destroyed. Jerusalem was in ruins. The Israelites were captives in Babylon. Most of the people who first heard this promise would die before it was fulfilled. This is not a promise of instant resolution. It is a promise from a God who operates on timelines you cannot see. If the future terrifies you, this verse says God is already in it, planning welfare, not calamity.

7. Isaiah 43:1-2 "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you." (NASB)

Notice: through the waters, not around them. God does not promise a dry path. He promises he will be with you in the flood. And notice the personal language: "I have called you by name." This is not a generic promise to a crowd. It is a personal word from a God who knows you specifically.

8. Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (NASB)

Moses spoke these words to Joshua before he died. The future was completely unknown. New land. New enemies. No Moses. And God's answer was not a strategy briefing. It was a promise of presence. "He goes ahead of you." Whatever you are afraid of facing, God is already there. He arrived before you did.

9. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (NASB)

This is one of the hardest commands in Scripture for anyone who fears the future. "Do not lean on your own understanding" asks you to release the illusion that you can control outcomes by understanding them. For the anxious planner who needs to see ten steps ahead, this verse says: you do not need to see the whole path. You need to trust the one who does. The spiritual discipline of remembering can help you build that trust over time.

10. Romans 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" (NASB)

Paul wrote this near the end of one of the most theologically dense chapters in the Bible. He had just discussed suffering, creation groaning, and the Spirit interceding for believers. His conclusion after all of that: if God is on your side, the opposition does not matter. This is not naivety. This is someone who had been beaten, shipwrecked, and imprisoned arriving at a calculated conclusion.

Verses for When You Need Courage to Act

Fear does not just keep you awake. It keeps you stuck. These verses are for the moments when you know what to do but are too afraid to do it.

11. Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (NASB)

God did not suggest courage. He commanded it. That tells you something important: courage is a choice, not a feeling. Joshua could choose to act with courage even while his knees were shaking. And the basis for that courage was not his own ability. It was God's presence. "Wherever you go" leaves no gap, no scenario, no situation where God is absent.

12. 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." (NASB)

Paul wrote this to Timothy, a young pastor who was probably intimidated by the responsibility on his shoulders. Paul's point: the fear you feel did not come from God. God gave you power, love, and discipline. Fear is real, but it is not your inheritance. If you are feeling paralysed by fear about a decision, a conversation, or a calling, this verse says the paralysis is not from God. He gave you what you need to move.

13. Isaiah 40:31 "Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (NASB)

The key word is "wait." Courage to act does not always mean acting immediately. Sometimes it means waiting for God to renew your strength before you move. Running on empty into a frightening situation is not courage. Waiting for God and then moving with renewed strength is.

14. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (NASB)

This is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. Paul is not talking about superhuman ability or athletic performance. He is talking about contentment in every circumstance, whether he has plenty or is in need. The "all things" is endurance. Paul can endure imprisonment, hunger, and danger because Christ gives him strength. If you need courage to endure something frightening, not just to conquer it, this verse is for you.

15. Psalm 118:6 "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (NASB)

If your fear is about people (their opinions, their rejection, their power over you), this verse addresses it directly. The psalmist does not deny that people can hurt him. He asks a proportional question: what can any person do compared to the God who is for you? When fear of people keeps you from obeying God, this verse resets the scale.

Verses for When Fear Becomes Overwhelming

Sometimes fear is not a passing feeling. It is a weight you cannot shake, a constant pressure that colours everything. These final five verses are for the heaviest fear.

16. 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not made perfect in love." (NASB)

John is talking about the fear of judgement: the fear that God is angry with you, that you are not enough, that punishment is coming. His answer is love. Not your love for God, but God's love for you. When you truly grasp that God's love for you is complete, the fear of punishment dissolves. You are not perfect. But his love is. And perfect love casts out fear.

17. Psalm 34:4 "I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." (NASB)

David did not say God delivered him from his circumstances. He said God delivered him from his fears. The circumstances may have remained. But the fear lifted. That is a different kind of deliverance, and it is just as real. If you are overwhelmed, this verse says: seek God. Not answers. Not solutions. God himself. How to hear God's voice offers practical ways to seek him when you do not know where to start.

18. Matthew 10:28-31 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul... Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." (NASB)

Jesus is saying: even in the absolute worst-case scenario (physical death), there is a part of you that cannot be touched. And then he pivots to sparrows. God tracks sparrows. He has counted your hairs. Your value to God is specific and detailed. If fear is telling you that you do not matter, that nobody cares, that you are alone in this, Jesus says the opposite.

19. Hebrews 13:6 "So that we confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?'" (NASB)

The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 118 and adds "confidently." This is not wishful thinking. It is a declaration made from a place of settled trust. The readers of this letter were facing persecution. They had real reason to fear. And the instruction was: say it out loud. Declare it. Speaking truth out loud has power because hearing it in your own voice does something that reading it silently does not.

20. Nahum 1:7 "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him." (NASB)

Three truths in one verse. God is good. God is a stronghold. God knows you. If fear has made you question God's goodness, this verse reaffirms it. If fear has made you feel exposed, this verse says there is a place to hide. If fear has made you feel invisible, this verse says God knows you by name. He sees you taking refuge, and he holds you there.

How to Use These Verses When Fear Strikes

Reading twenty verses is one thing. Letting them disarm your fear is another. Here is how to move from reading to remembering.

Pick One Verse (Not All Twenty)

Scroll back through this list. Find the one that grabbed you. The one that made your chest tight or your eyes sting. That is your verse. Not all twenty. One. Sit with it for a week. Memorize it. Let it settle into the places where fear lives. Depth beats breadth. One verse internalized will do more at 3 AM than twenty verses bookmarked.

Speak It Out Loud

There is a difference between reading a verse silently and hearing it in your own voice. Silent reading engages one part of your brain. Speaking and hearing engages multiple. When fear is loud, you need something louder. Say the verse out loud. In your car. In your room. On a walk. It will feel strange at first. Do it anyway. Voice Engage in Doxa is built for exactly this: speaking what you believe and hearing truth spoken back.

Write It Down Where You Will See It

Phone lock screen. Bathroom mirror. Index card in your wallet. Sticky note on your laptop. The goal is to let the verse find you before fear does. You want to be ambushed by truth. If you journal, write the verse and then write what it means for your specific fear. Be concrete. "Isaiah 41:10 means I do not have to carry the fear about my job interview alone. God will be with me in the room."

Find a Testimony That Matches Your Fear

A verse tells you what God promises. A testimony tells you someone tested the promise and found it true. Search "fear" or "courage" in The Grace Record and read stories from believers who were afraid and found God faithful. Theology plus evidence is a powerful combination. When your fear says "this will not work out," a testimony from someone who survived the same fear says otherwise. Encouragement for hard seasons includes several of these stories.

Save It for Later

You will not always be this afraid. But fear will return. When it does, you want your verse ready. The Encouragement Vault in Doxa is designed for exactly this: saving the verses, prayers, and words that carried you so you can find them again when you need them. Build your arsenal now. Future you will be grateful.

A Note on Anxiety Disorders and Professional Help

Fear and anxiety disorders are not the same thing. Occasional fear in response to a specific situation is normal. Constant, debilitating fear that does not respond to reason or prayer may be a clinical condition, and it deserves clinical care.

Scripture and therapy are not opposites. They are partners. The same Bible that tells you to cast your fears on God also shows you Elijah being cared for with bread, water, and sleep (1 Kings 19:5-8). Sometimes what you need is not another verse. It is rest, medication, and a trained professional who can help you understand what is happening in your brain.

The bravest thing you can do is ask for help.

If you or someone you know is struggling:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): nami.org

Doxa's Engage feature is spiritual encouragement, not counselling, therapy, or medical advice. If you need clinical support, please seek it. There is no shame in that.

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Explore Real Stories in The Grace Record

A verse tells you what God promises. A testimony tells you someone tested the promise and found it true:

• Testimonies of faith under persecution: Believers who faced death threats and imprisonment and did not break
• Stories of healing from fear and anxiety: How God met people in their most terrifying moments and brought peace
• Miraculous protection and deliverance: When God intervened in situations that had no natural way out
• Answered prayers for courage: Real stories of people who asked God for strength and received it

Browse all 1,600+ testimonies →

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Keep these verses close. Save them in your Encouragement Vault. And when fear comes back (it will), you will not be empty-handed. Search "fear" in The Grace Record and read stories of believers who were terrified and found God faithful anyway.