Bible Verses for Strength: 10 Scriptures for Hard Times
Courage in Scripture is almost never described as the absence of fear — it's action taken in the presence of it. 'Be strong and courageous' appears across dozens of passages, always to people who need it because what's ahead is genuinely hard. These verses are for those moments.
I Can Do All Things Through Christ
Philippians 4:13 is often applied to athletic achievement, but its context is contentment in all circumstances — including poverty and suffering. The strength Paul describes is not strength to win but strength to endure and remain at peace in any condition.
Philippians 4:13
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Be Strong and Courageous
Joshua 1:9 is God's charge before Israel enters an impossible situation. The command is direct: be strong, be courageous, don't be afraid. The ground of the command is not the people's strength but the presence of God — 'for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.'
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."
When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong
Paul's paradox in 2 Corinthians 12 is one of Scripture's most counterintuitive passages. Weakness isn't a problem to overcome before God can use you — it's the condition in which his power is most visible. Strength comes through, not despite, the weak place.
2 Corinthians 12:10
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield
Psalm 28:7 is trust in the present tense — not 'he will be' but 'he is.' The heart that trusts leaps for joy and gives thanks. Strength here isn't worked up; it's received and celebrated.
Psalm 28:7
"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."
He Gives Power to the Faint
Isaiah 40:29 speaks to the exhausted. Not the strong who need a boost — the faint, the powerless. God doesn't wait for you to have some strength remaining before he adds to it. He gives power to the ones who have none left.
Isaiah 40:29
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Listen on Worshipia
Hear this Scripture in audio
Guided Bible audio lessons on strength & courage — free on iOS, Android, and Spotify.