Bible Verses About Fear

“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.”

Perhaps the Bible’s most complete answer to fear: presence, strength, help, and upholding, all promised in the first person.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Fearfulness is not part of a believer’s inheritance. What God actually gives is power, love, and a sound mind.

“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.”

The shepherd psalm does not route around the dark valley; it walks through it, unafraid for one reason: Thou art with me.

“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.”

God’s commissioning of Joshua before an impossible task. Courage is commanded because presence is guaranteed.

“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?”

David reasons his way out of fear with two questions that answer themselves.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Love and tormenting fear cannot share a room. Knowing yourself perfectly loved is what drives fear out.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

The Christian’s standing before God is a child’s, not a slave’s. Adoption replaces the old fear with a family cry: Abba.

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”

A one-line settling of accounts: with God on your side, human threats lose their final power.

“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

The New Testament quotes Psalm 118 and adds a word: boldly. This confidence is meant to be said out loud.

“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”

Three reasons not to fear, all past tense and finished: redeemed, called by name, claimed as His.

“And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”

God does not only accompany; He goes before. Whatever you are dreading, He is already there.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

The psalm of shelter. Fear is answered by an address: living close enough to God to stand in His shadow.