Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s taking the next step even when your knees are shaking. It’s choosing to move forward when staying stuck feels safer. It’s trusting God’s promise over your panic.
Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa’s president, understood this deeply:
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
He knew that real courage means moving forward despite the terror, not waiting until you feel brave enough.
The Bible never tells you to pretend you’re not afraid. God repeatedly tells His people, “Do not fear,” precisely because they are afraid. He wouldn’t need to command courage if it came naturally. But over and over, Scripture pairs the call to courage with a reminder of God’s presence.
You’re not asked to be fearless. You’re asked to move forward, afraid, knowing that God goes with you. He’s already in your future, preparing the way. Your job isn’t to see the entire path. It’s just to take the next step.
Bible Verses About Courage To Move Forward
1. Joshua 1:9 – Be Strong and Courageous
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)
2. Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be Strong and Courageous, He Will Not 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)
3. Psalm 27:14 – Wait for the Lord; Be Strong
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
4. 1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be on Your Guard; Stand Firm in the Faith
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
New International Version (NIV)
5. Isaiah 41:10 – Do Not Fear, for I Am With 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)
6. 2 Timothy 1:7 – God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
New King James Version (NKJV)
7. Philippians 4:13 – I Can Do All This Through Him
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
New International Version (NIV)
8. Psalm 31:24 – Be Strong and Take Heart
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
9. Deuteronomy 31:8 – The Lord Goes Before You
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
New International Version (NIV)
10. Isaiah 43:1 – Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You
But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
New International Version (NIV)
11. Joshua 1:6-7 – Be Strong and Very Courageous
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
New International Version (NIV)
12. Proverbs 28:1 – The Righteous Are as Bold as a Lion
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
New International Version (NIV)
13. 1 Chronicles 28:20 – Be Strong and Courageous, and Do the Work
David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”
New International Version (NIV)
14. Psalm 118:6 – The Lord Is With Me; I Will Not Be Afraid
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
New International Version (NIV)
15. Isaiah 35:4 – Say to Those With Fearful Hearts, “Be Strong”
Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
New International Version (NIV)
16. Acts 4:13 – They Took Note That These Men Had Been With Jesus
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
17. Psalm 46:1-2 – 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)
18. Hebrews 13:6 – The Lord Is My Helper; I Will Not Be Afraid
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. 2 Chronicles 32:7 – Be Strong and Courageous, Do Not Be Afraid
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.
New International Version (NIV)
20. Ephesians 6:10 – Be Strong in the Lord
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
New International Version (NIV)
21. Isaiah 43:2 – When You Pass Through the Waters
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
New International Version (NIV)
22. Psalm 23:4 – I Will Fear No Evil
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
New International Version (NIV)
23. John 16:33 – Take Heart! I Have Overcome the World
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
New International Version (NIV)
24. Deuteronomy 20:3-4 – Do Not Be Fainthearted or Afraid
He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
New International Version (NIV)
25. 2 Samuel 10:12 – Be Strong, and Let Us Fight Bravely
Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.
New International Version (NIV)
26. Psalm 56:3-4 – When I Am Afraid, I Put My Trust in You
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)
27. Acts 4:29 – Enable Your Servants to Speak With Great Boldness
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
New International Version (NIV)
28. Joshua 10:25 – Do Not Be Afraid; Do Not Be Discouraged
Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
New International Version (NIV)
29. Haggai 2:4 – Be Strong and Work
But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.
New International Version (NIV)
30. Proverbs 3:25-26 – Do Not Be Afraid of Sudden Disaster
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
New International Version (NIV)
31. Romans 8:31 – If God Is for Us, Who Can Be Against 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)
32. Isaiah 54:4 – Do Not Be Afraid; You Will Not Be Put to Shame
Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
New International Version (NIV)
33. Psalm 138:3 – You Made Me Bold and Stouthearted
When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.
New International Version (NIV)
34. 1 Samuel 17:45 – I Come Against You in the Name of the Lord
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
New International Version (NIV)
35. 2 Chronicles 15:7 – Be Strong and Do Not Give Up
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
New International Version (NIV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Courage To Move Forward
Courage isn’t a feeling you wait for. It’s a decision you make despite your feelings.
Every major figure in Scripture who accomplished anything significant was terrified at some point. Moses argued with God at the burning bush. Gideon hid in a winepress. Esther risked her life approaching the king. Peter walked on water but started sinking when fear kicked in.
What made them courageous wasn’t that they stopped being afraid. It’s that they moved forward anyway.
God doesn’t ask you to figure everything out before you take the first step. He asks you to trust Him enough to move when He says move, even when you can’t see what’s ahead. The courage to move forward comes from knowing who goes with you, not from confidence in yourself.
You don’t need to be brave enough. You just need to be obedient enough to take the next step. God will meet you there with the strength you need for what comes next.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I need courage I don’t have.
I’m afraid of what’s ahead. I’m paralyzed by uncertainty. I’m stuck because moving forward feels too risky and staying here feels too painful. I don’t know what to do.
But Your Word tells me to be strong and courageous. It tells me not to be afraid because You go with me. It promises that You’ll never leave me or forsake me, that You’ll strengthen and help me, that You’ll uphold me with Your righteous right hand.
So I’m asking for courage I can’t manufacture on my own. Give me the strength to take the next step even when I’m shaking. Help me move forward even when I can’t see the entire path. Let me trust Your presence more than I fear my circumstances.
You’ve gone before me. You’re with me now. You’ll be there in whatever comes next. That’s enough. Let that truth give me the boldness to stop waiting for perfect conditions and start walking in obedience.
Make me strong and courageous, not in myself, but in You.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.