Confidence feels like something other people have naturally, while you’re constantly second-guessing yourself. They walk into rooms and own the space. They speak up in meetings without rehearsing their comments thirty times first. They take risks without spiraling into worst-case scenarios. Meanwhile, you’re comparing yourself to everyone, wondering if you’re qualified for anything, and fighting the voice that says you’re not enough.
The self-help industry sells confidence as something you manufacture through positive affirmations and fake-it-till-you-make-it strategies. Just believe in yourself harder. Just visualize success. Just act like you belong until you convince yourself you do.
But manufactured confidence collapses the moment you hit real obstacles or face legitimate criticism. It’s exhausting to maintain a persona that isn’t grounded in anything solid.
And like Robert Greene (one of my favorite authors) said in one of his books titled Mastery: “Confidence is important, but if it is not based on a realitic appraisal of who you are, it is mere grandiosity and smugness.”
Biblical confidence operates on completely different principles. It’s not based on convincing yourself you’re amazing or pretending you don’t have weaknesses. It’s rooted in knowing whose you are rather than who you are. These verses won’t teach you to trust yourself more. They’ll show you something better: how to find unshakeable confidence in a God who doesn’t change when your performance does.
Bible Verses About Confidence and Self-Belief
1. Philippians 4:13 – I Can Do All Things
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
New King James Version (NKJV)
2. Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed Is the One Who Trusts in the Lord
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
New International Version (NIV)
3. Hebrews 10:35 – Do Not Throw Away Your Confidence
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
New International Version (NIV)
4. Psalm 27:3 – Even Then I Will Be Confident
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
New International Version (NIV)
5. Proverbs 3:26 – The Lord Will Be at Your Side
For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.
New International Version (NIV)
6. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 – Our Competence Comes from God
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
New International Version (NIV)
7. Ephesians 3:12 – Approach God with Freedom and Confidence
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
New International Version (NIV)
8. Psalm 118:6 – The Lord Is with Me
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
New International Version (NIV)
9. 1 John 5:14 – We Have Confidence Before God
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
New International Version (NIV)
10. Proverbs 14:26 – Whoever Fears the Lord Has a Secure Fortress
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
New International Version (NIV)
11. Isaiah 30:15 – In Quietness and Trust
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.
New International Version (NIV)
12. Philippians 1:6 – He Will Carry It to Completion
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
13. Psalm 46:1-2 – Therefore We Will Not Fear
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
New International Version (NIV)
14. 2 Timothy 1:7 – A Spirit of Power
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
New International Version (NIV)
15. Isaiah 41:10 – I Will Strengthen You
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
New International Version (NIV)
16. Romans 8:31 – If God Is for Us
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
New International Version (NIV)
17. Psalm 56:3-4 – When I Am Afraid
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
New International Version (NIV)
18. Hebrews 13:6 – The Lord Is My Helper
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
New International Version (NIV)
19. 1 John 4:18 – Perfect Love Drives Out Fear
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
New International Version (NIV)
20. Psalm 27:1 – The Lord Is My Light
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?
New International Version (NIV)
21. Proverbs 28:1 – The Righteous Are as Bold as a Lion
The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
New International Version (NIV)
22. Joshua 1:9 – Do Not Be Discouraged
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.
New International Version (NIV)
23. Psalm 138:3 – You Gave Me Strength
When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.
New International Version (NIV)
24. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – We Are Always Confident
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
25. 1 Corinthians 15:58 – Stand Firm
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
New International Version (NIV)
26. Ephesians 3:20 – Immeasurably More
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
New International Version (NIV)
27. Isaiah 26:3 – Perfect Peace
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
New International Version (NIV)
28. Romans 8:37 – More Than Conquerors
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
New International Version (NIV)
29. Psalm 73:26 – God Is the Strength of My Heart
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
New International Version (NIV)
30. Deuteronomy 31:6 – He Will Never Leave You
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
New International Version (NIV)
31. Hebrews 4:16 – Approach God’s Throne with Confidence
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
New International Version (NIV)
32. Psalm 31:14 – I Trust in You, Lord
But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
New International Version (NIV)
33. 1 John 3:21-22 – We Have Confidence Before God
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
New International Version (NIV)
34. Philippians 3:3 – We Glory in Christ Jesus
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.
New International Version (NIV)
35. Proverbs 29:25 – Whoever Trusts in the Lord Is Kept Safe
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
New International Version (NIV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Confidence and Self-Belief
The Bible never encourages blind self-belief or suggests you should trust in your own strength. Paul explicitly says our competence comes from God, not from ourselves. That’s radically countercultural in a world that preaches self-reliance and personal empowerment. The biblical approach acknowledges our limitations honestly while pointing to an unlimited God who works through weak people, specifically so His power gets the credit.
True confidence isn’t denying your weaknesses but knowing they don’t disqualify you. Moses had a speech impediment. Gideon came from the weakest clan. David was the youngest and smallest. Peter denied Jesus three times. None of them succeeded because they believed in themselves. They succeeded because they believed God could work through them despite their obvious inadequacies. That kind of confidence doesn’t collapse when you fail because it was never built on your flawless performance.
This also means your worth isn’t up for debate based on how well you perform. You’re loved and valuable because God created you in His image and chose to redeem you, not because you convinced yourself you’re awesome. That settles the identity question permanently, freeing you to take risks, try new things, and fail occasionally without it destroying your sense of self.
Say This Prayer
God, confidence doesn’t come naturally to me. I wrestle with insecurity more than I’d like to admit, constantly comparing myself to others and feeling like I’m falling short. The world tells me to believe in myself, but on my worst days, I know exactly how flawed I am. I need something more stable than my fluctuating self-esteem.
Help me to build my confidence in You rather than in myself. Teach me to trust Your strength in my weakness instead of pretending I’m stronger than I actually am. When opportunities intimidate me or when I’m tempted to play small because I’m afraid of failing, remind me that You don’t call the qualified but qualify the called.
Free me from the fear of what people think. Their opinions change constantly, and I’m exhausted from trying to manage everyone’s perception of me. Let me find security in knowing I’m Yours, regardless of whether I impress anyone else. Give me the courage to take risks, knowing that my identity is secure even if I fail.
Replace my self-consciousness with God-consciousness. Help me to walk into rooms not worried about proving myself but confident that You’re with me.
In Jesus’ strong name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.