8 Bible Verses About Not Being Afraid: Finding Courage in Christ
We all deal with fear. In these moments, we can defeat fear by standing on God’s Word. Today, we’ll explore eight Bible verses about not being afraid.
First, I invite you to join me in the wilderness as fear threatened to paralyze me. We’ll talk about overcoming our fears in practical ways. Then, we’ll dig into God’s Word for eight verses about not being afraid.
8 Bible Verses About Not Being Afraid
Sometime after midnight, the coyotes woke me from a deep and dreamless sleep.
As they sent their sad serenade into the inky night sky, I arose and went to the window. Our beagles joined in the melody, and I recalled a night alone on a mountain decades ago.
The summer after I turned 16, I saved money to buy a large internal frame backpack and a lightweight sleeping bag. After borrowing a tattered blue tarp from my dad, I packed provisions for a night and trekked into the wilderness of northcentral Pennsylvania’s forested hills.
I was terrified, of course. I was afraid of being attacked by a bear or a pack of hungry coyotes. Nevertheless, fear was the precise reason why I ventured into the forest.
I needed to push through my fear and prove something to myself—to prove that I was courageous and strong, the kind of person who wasn’t afraid to stand her ground and move beyond fear.
Overcoming Fear
As I reflect on this many years later, my adolescent bravery inspires me.
No, I’m not packing up the ragged green backpack and heading into the woods. However, my 16-year-old self is reminding me of what to do with fear.
Often, the best way to handle our fears is to directly confront them.
Therapists call this exposure therapy: putting ourselves in the position to face uncomfortable situations until we realize that what we once feared is not as formidable as we imagined.
I don’t spend much time fretting about bears and coyotes attacking me in this stage of my life, but I face plenty of fears and worries.
I fear that I’ll fail in the parts of my life that are deeply important to me. At times, I grapple with fears regarding my kids, my writing, my health, and more. I’m also learning to face these fears and find victory through three simple steps.
1. Name the fear.
Studies reveal that naming our emotions calms our nervous systems and helps us move out of fight or flight mode. Directly naming our fears helps us move beyond their paralyzing grip.
Studies reveal that naming our emotions calms our nervous systems and helps us move out of fight or flight mode. Directly naming our fears helps us move beyond their paralyzing grip. #fear Share on XI’ve learned to specifically name what I’m worried about or afraid of. It helps to be as specific as possible.
2. Approach fear with curiosity and compassion.
After naming the fear or worry, I imagine placing the fearful and worried thoughts on a table and approaching the thoughts with curiosity and compassion.
I don’t let myself embrace shame for my worries and fears.
Instead, I ask questions to dig beneath the fears. I also invite God to help me discern what’s going on. I might ask the following questions:
Is there a deeper root to this fear?
Is this fear attached to something else in my life, or does it spring from a past event?
What is my most feared worst-case scenario in this situation?
Would I still be able to trust God if the worst-case scenario happened?
Could I go on with life if the worst-case scenario took place?
Is this a self-protecting fear?
Am I afraid of something I cannot control? If so, what would it look like to do my best in this situation and then release the outcome to God?
What is my role in this situation, and at what point do I need to release this and trust God with the results?
What is God showing me about this fear or worry?
After asking these questions, I ask God to show me what he wants me to know about the fear. At times, I have a sudden, clear revelation that helps me overcome the fear. Most of the time, he leads me to his written Word. This leads to our next point.
3. Speak Truth to the fear.
After examining the fear, I speak Truth to it.
Every time the fearful, worried thought comes to mind, I repeat one of the following Bible verses about not being afraid.
Bible Verses About Not Being Afraid
1. Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God is with you, and he will uphold you and give you strength.
We can overcome fear by remembering that we are never alone.
2. 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
We don’t need to fear because God’s love is in us. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We can press into God’s love, and his love will push out all fear.
3. Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
This verse reminds us that even in the darkest valleys, God is with us. He comforts us and protects us. Nothing reaches us without passing through him first.
4. Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Rather than embracing anxious thoughts, God calls us to pray. When we do, his peace guards our hearts and minds.
Worrying creates the illusion of controlling life’s challenging situations; prayer actually makes an impact.
Worrying creates the illusion of controlling life's challenging situations; prayer actually makes an impact. #prayer #faith #trust #surrender Share on X5. John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus promised peace to his followers. When our hearts are troubled, we can cling to this promise of peace.
6. Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
This simple phrase can become a mantra in fearful moments. Our kids have memorized it and speak it when they feel afraid. No matter what fear you face, these words remind you of God’s truth. He is trustworthy.
7. 1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
God calls us to cast our anxieties and fears on him. Too often, I ruminate over fears and worries. Imagine how different our lives would be if we learned to cast our cares on him immediately!
8. Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Much of what we worry about never ends up happening. May we remember this as we aim to live present to our daily moments, not worrying about the future.
Apply These Bible Verses About Not Being Afraid to Your Life
With time, speaking Truth to my fearful thoughts strips them of their power. Instead of feeling paralyzed by fear, I find strength in the living Word. In this way, I take the weapon meant to defeat me—fear—and use it to overcome the enemy’s attacks.
As for sleeping among the coyotes, my daughter and I will soon head to the backcountry with our tent. I’ve learned that coyotes aren’t quite as threatening as they once seemed. Our time in the woods is always deeply refreshing and restorative. I’m thankful to have pushed past my fear of wild places.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You With Overcoming Fear
If these Bible verses about not being afraid blessed you, I have a gift for you today. Hope for Hard Days is a free 10-day online devotional to help you hold onto hope when life is tough. You will find 10 readings to help you connect with God and claim his peace. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today for free with promo code HOPE.
Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
All three books are available in print and eBook form here on Amazon. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
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