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.
Courage is commanded because God goes with you wherever you go.
Bible Verses About Courage
In the Bible, courage is not the absence of fear. It is doing what is right, with God beside you, while you are still afraid. Joshua 1:9 says it best: “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.”
A verse for you
Joshua 1:9
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.
Courage is commanded because God goes with you wherever you go.
KJV16 Bible verses about courage
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Courage is something God gives: take heart, and He will strengthen you as you hope in Him.
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Be strong and of good courage. He will not fail you nor forsake you.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
When you nearly give up, hold on to seeing God’s goodness in this life, and wait for Him with courage.
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
On the day you cry out, God answers by putting strength into your soul.
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.
God promises His presence, His strength and His help when fear is loud.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
An honest prayer for frightening moments: when I am afraid, I will trust in You.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Because God has promised never to leave you, you can say boldly: the Lord is my helper.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Jesus does not promise a life without trouble. He promises peace in Him, because He has overcome the world.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Paul to a timid young pastor: the Spirit God gives is not one of cowardice, but of power, love and a sound mind. Feeling afraid is not failing, and you are not left alone in it.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Mordecai’s challenge to Esther: perhaps you are where you are for such a time as this.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
God is able to save us, said Daniel’s three friends, and even if He does not, we will not bow.
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Threatened by the authorities, the first believers prayed not for safety but for boldness.
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Paul’s closing charge to a church: stay alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Strength that does not depend on you: be strong in the Lord and His mighty power.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Not a promise that you will avoid the waters, but that God will be with you in them.
What the Bible says
Courage is not the absence of fear. Joshua was told to be strong and courageous four times in a single chapter, which suggests he needed to hear it. Esther was frightened enough to ask her people to fast for three days before she went to the king uninvited, at the risk of her life, and she still went: “if I perish, I perish.” The biblical picture is fear admitted and then outweighed by something greater.
That greater thing is almost always God’s presence, not self-confidence. The command “Be strong and of a good courage” comes with its reason: “for the Lord thy God is with thee.” Courage is even something God gives: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” Another psalm remembers the day God answered and “strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”
Courage in Scripture also has a direction: it is courage to do what is right. Daniel’s three friends told the king that God was able to deliver them from the furnace, “But if not,” they still would not bow to his image. The apostles, threatened by the authorities, did not pray for safety but “that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” That is not recklessness. Courage can look like telling the truth, speaking up for someone, asking for help, leaving what is harmful, or simply getting up to face one more day.
If you feel you have no courage left, you are in good company, and you do not have to manufacture it. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Courage is received, often a little at a time, and often only enough for the next step.
A prayer
Lord, I have to face something hard, and I am afraid. You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind. Be with me wherever I go today, as You promised Joshua. Strengthen my heart as I hope in You, and give me the boldness to do what is right, even if I tremble while I do it. Amen.
Questions people ask
What is the most famous Bible verse about courage?
Joshua 1:9: “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.” Deuteronomy 31:6 says almost the same to all Israel.
Is courage the absence of fear?
No. The people the Bible calls courageous were often afraid: Joshua, Esther, Gideon, the apostles. Psalm 56:3 shows the pattern: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Courage is acting in trust while the fear is still there.
What does “for such a time as this” mean?
Mordecai urged Queen Esther to speak to the king for her people: “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” He believed deliverance would come somehow, and invited her to see that her position might have a purpose. People use it today when they sense they are in a place, a job or a moment for a reason.
What verse can I hold onto before surgery, an exam or a hard conversation?
Deuteronomy 31:6 and Isaiah 41:10 for God’s presence, Psalm 138:3 for strength when you call, and Hebrews 13:6: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Save one and read it just before you go in.
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