26 Bible Verses About Courage (NIV & KJV)

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the strength to act rightly in spite of it. The Bible is filled with men and women who faced impossible odds, daunting enemies, and uncertain futures, yet stepped forward in faith. Their courage was not rooted in their own ability but in the unshakable promise that God was with them.

These Bible verses about courage will encourage you to stand firm, be bold, and press on through life's trials. Whether you are facing a difficult decision, a frightening diagnosis, or a season of opposition, God's Word calls you to "be strong and of a good courage." The same God who strengthened Joshua, David, and the apostles is with you today.

This collection of Bible Scriptures will fortify your heart, remind you of God's faithfulness, and inspire you to face whatever lies ahead with boldness and trust.

💪 Be Strong and of Good Courage

These are some of Scripture's most powerful calls to bravery and boldness.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””— Joshua 1:9 (NIV)“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.”— Joshua 1:9 (KJV)

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”— Joshua 1:6 (NIV)“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.”— Joshua 1:6 (KJV)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.””— Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)“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.”— Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”— Psalm 31:24 (NIV)“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”— Psalm 31:24 (KJV)

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”— Psalm 27:14 (NIV)“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”— Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

🛡️ God Is Your Strength and Help

Courage flows from knowing that the Lord Himself is fighting for us.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”— Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)“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.”— Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”— Psalm 28:7 (NIV)“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”— Psalm 28:7 (KJV)

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”— Philippians 4:13 (NIV)“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”— Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

“Psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”— Psalm 27:1 (NIV)“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”— Psalm 27:1 (KJV)

“Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”— Psalm 46:1 (NIV)“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”— Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

⚔️ Stand Firm and Be Bold

Scripture calls believers to stand their ground in faith and not give up.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”— 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV)“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”— 1 Corinthians 16:13 (KJV)

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”— Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”— Ephesians 6:10 (KJV)

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”— 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”— 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”— Proverbs 28:1 (NIV)“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”— Proverbs 28:1 (KJV)

“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”— 2 Timothy 2:3 (NIV)“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”— 2 Timothy 2:3 (KJV)

🙏 Courage Through Trust in God

When we trust the Lord completely, fear loses its grip on us.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”— Psalm 56:3 (NIV)“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”— Psalm 56:3 (KJV)

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”— Psalm 118:6 (NIV)“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”— Psalm 118:6 (KJV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”— Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”— Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”— Psalm 23:4 (NIV)“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”— Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”— Psalm 55:22 (NIV)“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”— Psalm 55:22 (KJV)

🌟 Endure and Press On

God promises strength to those who persevere with courage.

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”— Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)“But 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; and they shall walk, and not faint.”— Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”— Galatians 6:9 (NIV)“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”— Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”— Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”— Hebrews 10:23 (KJV)

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”— 2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”— 2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”— 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”— 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”— Romans 8:37 (NIV)“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”— Romans 8:37 (KJV)

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”— Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)“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.”— Isaiah 43:2 (KJV)

What Does the Bible Say About Courage?

The Bible defines courage not as fearlessness or self-reliance, but as steadfast trust in God's presence. The most famous example is Joshua 1:9, where God commands, "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." The foundation of courage is always the same: God is with us. Because the Lord goes before His people and never forsakes them, they can face fear, opposition, and hardship with boldness.

Scripture also shows that courage is sustained through waiting on the Lord and drawing strength from Him. Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart." This means courage is not something we manufacture on our own; it is something God supplies as we trust Him. From David facing Goliath to Paul preaching boldly in chains, biblical courage is the fruit of faith in a faithful God.

No matter what challenge stands before you, the Lord is ready to strengthen your heart. Find more encouragement in these Bible verses about strength, these Bible verses about fear, and these Bible verses about faith.