Bible Verses About Fear

Fear rarely announces itself politely. It shows up in a waiting room, before a phone call, in the middle of the night. Scripture speaks to fear often, and almost always in the same breath as a reminder of who is near.

2 Timothy 1:7

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

Paul wrote this to Timothy, a young leader who by many accounts struggled with timidity. The verse names fear plainly and then names what has actually been given instead: power, love, and a clear mind.

Psalm 27:1

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?

Two questions, asked and answered in the same breath. Light and strength are both here, which covers both the fear of not seeing clearly and the fear of not having enough to face what comes.

1 John 4:18

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.

John draws a direct line between love and fear, treating them as opposites that cannot both fill the same space. A love secure enough leaves less room for dread to settle in.

Psalm 56:3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Short enough to carry with you through the rest of a hard day. It offers one clear place to put the fear: trust.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Moses speaks this to the whole nation of Israel before Joshua leads them into unfamiliar territory. Courage here is paired with a promise of company on the way, not just an instruction to feel differently.

When fear shows up

Say one of these out loud the next time fear arrives without an invitation. A steady rhythm of scripture, practiced each morning in Devotional, makes verses like these easier to reach for exactly when you need them.