Top 7 Bible Verses About Being Afraid

“No Fear” was a popular slogan among the youth in the 1990’s, as they tried to encourage each other to face the difficulties of life and the reality of growing up by wearing t-shirts and other items to declare their bravery. Several decades have passed since then, but the message is one that God has also been giving us through the ages. Fear can have a crippling, devastating, and even paralyzing effect on us if we succumb to it, so the Lord does not want us to live like that. He wants us to be bold and courageous, as we confront the challenges of life. So bearing that it mind, here are my top 7 Bible verses about being afraid.

Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 

This is a great verse to begin a biblical discussion on being afraid, because the author goes straight to the point. He tells us that even when the challenges we face or when our enemies seem much greater than anything we can handle, that we should not be fearful, as the Lord is with us. It includes a reminder of God’s incredible might in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt as a clear example of his power. The Lord is so much bigger, stronger, and mightier than anything we could ever face in the world if we will just put our trust and hope in him. There is a saying that I have heard recently that states, “If God has brought you to it, then he will bring you through it.” This is exactly what the Lord is saying to us in this verse as well.

Joshua 10:25 “And Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.’” 

After following Moses’ lead for over 40 years in the desert, Joshua learned a great deal about courage and trusting the Lord. The story of his life is filled with times and opportunities when he encouraged his followers to be strong and bold—not fearful or afraid. He knew firsthand that if God was fighting for him that nothing could stand against him.

2 Kings 6:16 “He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” 

I really like the story leading up to this verse, because the author reminds us that when God is for us nothing can stand against us. The prophet, Elisha, had been helping the Israelites defeat their enemies, so the king of Aram sent his army to kill him. This verse is Elisha’s response to his servant’s fearful discovery of being surrounded by the enemy. Then the Lord opened the servant, Gehazi’s eyes, and he was able to see the heavenly army of chariots of fire surrounding their enemies. Even though we may be outnumbered, all we really need is to open our eyes and “see” the Lord on our side.

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?”

I have often struggled with various kinds of fears in my life. These fears have included financial worries, critters, and change, but I am not proud of those times at all. These fears have tried to rule my life, and they have often stopped me from living my life to the fullest. But this verse speaks to me in a powerful way, because if God is my salvation then who or what should I fear? The answer is nothing. No thing can have power over me except what I choose to allow, so instead of succumbing to fear I should trust the Lord as the stronghold of my life and as my salvation.

Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Hardships, illness, and unexpected difficulties will often bring fear running into our lives. However, the Lord is always with us to comfort, strengthen and save us from whatever comes our way. He exhorts us to get rid of our fear, as it will do us no good. When my children were very young, they would wake up in the middle of the night afraid after a bad dream on occasion and come to my bedroom to get in bed with me. I would always tell them to speak the name of “Jesus,” and think about fun and happy things in order to get rid of their fear. We would talk about their birthday or Christmas presents, and the fear would leave. Singing has also always been a great way to overcome fear for me, as the Lord is my strength and my song.

Mark 6:50, “…for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Fear can be very paralyzing, as our bodies go into a “fight or flight” adrenalin mode almost immediately. This is what happened to Jesus’ disciples as they saw a ghost-like figure walking towards them on the water. The author writes that when they saw him that they were terrified. So Jesus immediately assuaged their fears by speaking to them and identifying himself. He also told them to not be afraid. Likewise, Jesus continues to speak to us today and tells us to take heart and not be afraid for he is with us always.

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.”

One of the best counter measures to fear is peace, and this is what Jesus gives us all as his disciples. He reminds us that we will encounter trouble and problems in the world, but that we must keep our hearts and minds focused on him. When our eyes, hearts and minds are set on him, then we will have his peace. Our hearts will not be troubled nearly as much, and we will not be overcome by fear. What a great gift he gave to his disciples, and what an amazing gift he has given us as well.

CONCLUSION

To summarize God’s perspective on fear, we should turn to one final Scripture found in 2 Timothy 1:7 that states, “…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” In other words, the Lord does not want us to be afraid. He has instead given us a sound mind and a spirit of power and love and self-control. These tools empower us to be bold and courageous in him, so we don’t need to wear certain clothing to embolden us but rather we can “wear” bravery and courage in our hearts.

Written by Karla Hawkins

God has been good to me over the years, and I have much for which to be grateful to Him. First of all, I feel blessed to be the pastor’s wife of a thriving church in northern Michigan and the mother of four amazing grown children. It is also very rewarding to be a Christian author, editor and translator for the Kingdom of God. Some of my favorite pastimes include supporting my children’s contemporary Christian band ONLY9AM, singing on the worship team at church, traveling, and connecting with family and friends via social media. When I am not working, I love spending time with my family and especially with my precious three-year-old grandson.