bible verses about courage

Bible Verses About Courage: 15 Scriptures

Bible verses about courage: 15 Scriptures on being strong and courageous, God with you when fear rises, and love that acts anyway—with plain notes and links.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 28, 2026Updated October 21, 20266 min readJoshua 1:9 (NIV)

A lone walker follows a long switchback path toward morning light on a ridge.

"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)

People who search bible verses about courage want Scripture for the hard step — not bravado, strength that obeys when fear is loud, and love that shows up anyway. This page is a numbered list of fifteen passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. There is no live /love-and-courage essay yet; the closest love essay for images and tone is Love and endurance. Related lists: Bible verses about strength, Bible verses for hard times, Bible verses about faith, and Bible verses about hope. Courage here is commanded boldness in obedience — distinct from comfort-in-suffering lists like Bible verses for hard times. For Scripture on the whole armor, see Bible verses about the armor of God.

Word study (lead verse). In Joshua 1:9 the charge pairs chazaq — be strong / seize strength — from Hebrew חָזַק (Strong's H2388) with amats — be courageous / alert — from Hebrew אָמַץ (Strong's H553): strength and firm courage rooted in God's presence, not in denying fear. See also Bible Hub H2388 and Bible Hub H553.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 1:5-9 aims courage at God's presence and duty: "He is to encourage himself with the promise and presence of God. Let not the sense of thine own infirmities dishearten thee; God is all-sufficient… When we are in the way of duty, we have reason to be strong and very bold" (Bible Hub commentaries on Joshua 1:9; fuller MHC on the chapter at Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Joshua 1 and Bible Hub MHC Joshua 1).

15 Bible verses about courage

  1. Joshua 1:9. "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." Courage is commanded — and grounded in God's presence. The reference page is Joshua 1:9.

  2. Deuteronomy 31:6. "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." Courage rests on "he goes with you," not on empty pep talk. The reference page is Deuteronomy 31:6.

  3. Psalm 27:1. "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?" Courage asks whom to fear when the Lord is light and stronghold. See Bible verses about strength.

  4. Isaiah 41:10. "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…" Presence, strength, and help answer fear together.

  5. 2 Timothy 1:7. "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." Courage is Spirit-powered — with love and a sound mind, not reckless heat. The reference page is 2 Timothy 1:7.

  6. Psalm 31:24. "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." Hope and taking heart belong together. See Bible verses about hope.

  7. 1 Corinthians 16:13. "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." Watchfulness, faith, courage, and strength form one charge. See Bible verses about faith.

  8. Deuteronomy 31:8. "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." God goes before — courage follows.

  9. Joshua 1:6-7. "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people… Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law…" Courage is for obedience and leadership, not only for feelings.

  10. Psalm 56:3-4. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid…" Fear is admitted; trust answers it. See Bible verses about trust.

  11. 2 Chronicles 32:7-8. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria… With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God…" Courage compares arms of flesh to the Lord who fights.

  12. Philippians 1:27-28. "…I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit… without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you." Standing firm without fright is courage in community.

  13. Hebrews 13:6. "So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'" Confidence names the Lord as helper.

  14. John 16:33. "…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Taking heart rests on Christ's victory — even when trouble is promised. See Bible verses for hard times.

  15. 1 Corinthians 13:7. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Love that perseveres is courage in relationship form. See Love and endurance and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse for a scary obedience, a medical waiting room, or a habit of freezing — not fifteen. Read it out loud. If you need the classic command, start with Joshua 1:9. If fear of people is loud, start with Psalm 27:1 or Hebrews 13:6. For endurance language next door, read Love and endurance. For strength and hard-times lists (related, not clones), see Bible verses about strength and Bible verses for hard times. For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the blazing furnace, open Bible verses about the fiery furnace. For the wall of Jericho that fell at the shout, open Bible verses about the wall of Jericho. For David anointed from the sheepfold who faced Goliath, open Bible verses about David. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about courage?

Joshua 1:9 ("Be strong and courageous… the Lord your God will be with you") and Deuteronomy 31:6 are the classic starting places. Isaiah 41:10 and 2 Timothy 1:7 are often used when fear or timidity is loud.

What does the Bible say about being courageous?

Scripture ties courage to God's presence and command (Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 31:6-8), to the Spirit's power and love (2 Timothy 1:7), and to standing firm in faith (1 Corinthians 16:13). See Bible verses about strength.

How is courage different from encouragement or hard times?

Encouragement often stresses comfort and cheering someone on; hard-times lists stress suffering and comfort in affliction. Courage stresses the commanded, obedient boldness that acts when fear rises. Cross-link Bible verses for hard times; do not treat them as the same page.

What Bible verse helps when I am afraid to obey?

Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:8, and Isaiah 41:10 are often used. Fear is named; God's presence answers it. See Bible verses about faith and Bible verses about trust.

Read Love and endurance, Bible verses about strength, and Bible verses for hard times. For faith and hope that feed courage, see Bible verses about faith and Bible verses about hope. For the broader spiritual battle — resisting the devil, not only taking the hard step — see Bible verses about spiritual warfare.

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