Fear: There are at least two kinds of fear mentioned in the Bible. The first kind of fear is the fear of the Lord, which is healthy and to be encouraged. The second kind of fear the Bible talks about is a “spirit of fear” (see 2 Timothy 1:7), which is a hindrance to our life and walk with God.
Everyone has or will experience fear in their lives. Sometimes it’s subtle and we don’t realize that’s what it is. We make other excuses for why we’re not moving forward in areas of our life when the root is really fear. This is not what God wants for us. Overcoming fear is rooted in trusting God and receiving His love. First John 4:18 tells us, “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.” Satan will do all he can to get us to doubt the love of God, often by using fear. Fear of the future, what people think of us, failure, you name it—when we believe lies of fear, it gets in the way of experiencing and living out of the freedom of God’s perfect love.
The good news is, when we experience fear, we don’t have to stay there. “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). We must take our fears to God. This verse reminds us that He hears us and He is the one who delivers us from fear; we can’t do it by ourselves. Confessing our fears to God takes the power out of its control over us and allows God to cleanse us from it (see 1 John 1:9). This is simply an active way we can trust God completely. The more we learn to trust Him and His love for us, the more we experience His peace (Philippians 4:7), and the less fear has any place in our lives.
10 Bible Verses about Fear
1. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” –Isaiah 41:10
2. “Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
3. “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” –Psalm 56:3
4. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” –2 Timothy 1:7
5. “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” –Deuteronomy 31:6
6. “I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” –Psalm 34:4
7. “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God for he cares for you.”-1 Peter 5:6-7
8. “This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9
9. “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for the fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” –1 John 4:18
10. “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” –Romans 15:13
