What God says about fear in the Bible equips us to win the battle and overcome it. God refers to the Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit. It’s the weapon portion of our armor that not only serves as a shield, or protection from the enemy, but as a weapon with which we can slay the devil’s attacks against us. The devil loves to use fear against us because he knows that our instinctual responses are fight, flight, or freeze. Those responses usually end up sitting us on the sidelines of life because they cause us to do things that are not in our best interest. They do not help us be our best selves or to overcome fear.
That is why God takes fear personally. He addresses it 365 times in the Bible because He wants to see His children overcome and live in victory and fullness. And it is why we can’t fight this battle alone. We need the greatest of all warriors on our side fighting with us. But to do that, we need to pick up our Sword of the Spirit — the Bible verses about fear.
When Fear Takes Us Out of the Game
Fear is different for each of us. Some of us may be bold and confident in some areas of our lives, yet in others, remain frozen in fear. Some of us experience anxiety and depression due to our fears. Others of us lead a life of avoidance and permanently sitting on the sidelines. We deal with unique fear challenges, but they all have the same power. They keep us from living our best lives — using our God-given gifts and living to our fullest potential.
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. –Proverbs 29:25 NLT
Being it doesn’t need to happen. Let’s think about it in terms of sports for just a moment.
Friend, you don’t have to be permanently taken out of the game. In a similar fashion, you don’t need to just sit on the sidelines of life. Sometimes, you may need a short time out to regroup and refocus on our true source of power – the power available to us through Christ. Then, with that power, we get back in the game and confront the fear.
We walk through the fear and then yes, we defeat the fear!
By keeping our eyes locked firmly on Christ rather than on the distraction of fear, we put ourselves back in the game and claim victory over our fear.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. –Psalm 16:8 (NIV)
An Example of Fear in the Bible
Let’s explore the Parable of the Bags of Gold found in Matthew 25: 14-30. The story is about a wealthy man who went away on a journey. It says he entrusted his wealth to three of his servants. Undoubtedly, he wanted them to invest the funds wisely and get a good return on the investment. In so many words, I imagine it as a modern-day investment portfolio scenario!
He determined the ability level of each servant and entrusted them accordingly. One servant received five bags, another two, and the third just one. The servant with five bags invested wisely and managed to double the returns. The second did the same. However, the third returned only with the original bag.
His excuse for the lousy return?
He was afraid.
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. –Matthew 25:24-25
He hid the gold because he was afraid! His fear took him out of the game. It took him off the path to success.
That is exactly what fear does to us, too. God has given us each gifts to use as we live out our greatest purposes.
Every. Single. One. Of. Us.
With this in mind, are we afraid to invest wisely, afraid to put it out there and trust God to put it to good use? Are we hiding the gold we were given?
Here is where I want to specifically challenge you, as I am challenging myself. I challenge you and myself to not hide in our fears. Let’s stay in the game, not forfeit in defeat.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9 ESV
What God Says About Fear in the Bible
If we are Christians, we believe in a God who created us in His image, loves us beyond measure, and died on the cross so that we could have eternal life and not live in bondage to sin. We also believe He goes before us, fights for us, and will never leave us.
These truths are shared within the pages of our Bibles. God also tells us about His character because to know and trust someone, we need to know all about who they are and what they are like, right? So, God gives us this tremendous gift by giving us the Bible. He tells us and shows us that He is not capable of lying because He is the author of truth. He is Truth! When it comes to lies, the only originator we have is the devil. Therefore, we are assured that what God says to us within the pages of our Bibles about fear, we do not need to doubt. They are words we can hold onto with confident assurance.
10 Bible Verses About Fear
1. “Then he continued, “Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you; he will not forsake you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly” -1 Chronicles 28:20 TLB
2. “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.” -Isaiah 54:4 NLT
3. 5 “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” 6 That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.” -Hebrews 13:5-6 TLB
4. 13 “Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.” -1 Peter 3:13-14 NLT
57 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” -2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
6. “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?” -Psalm 27:1 ESV
7. “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” -Psalm 23:4 NLT
8. “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 NLT
9. “55 Hey, Death! What happened to your big win?
Hey, Death! What happened to your sting?
56 Sin came into this world, and death’s sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law. 57 Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, who brought us victory over the grave.” -1 Corinthians 15:55-57
10. “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” -Psalm 34:4-5 NLT
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.-Joshua 1:9 ESV Click To TweetA Prayer to Fight Against Fear
Lord, I boldly pray for Your power to replace my fear. You are the God who promises to walk before me, help me, and uphold me with Your victorious hand (Isaiah 41:10). Because Your character is pure and without blemish. Because You are incapable of lying and because I have witnessed Your power in my life before, I trust You. I surrender my life to you with open hands, and I lay down my fears and give them to You.
I know that I may still experience fear, but each time, I commit to putting my eyes and my attention back on You. Again and again, I will turn my fears over to You so that I may live with victory. I believe I no longer need to be sidelined by my fear. Thank You for Your unfailing love and relentless pursuit of my heart and soul. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen
Wait! Before You Go!
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Interested in the Rest of the Series?
Do you have big questions about what your Bible has to say about certain topics? In this 5-part series, I am addressing some of those questions!
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Your article on fear came in handy to me. Thanks