When you search the King James Bible for the phrase "be strong and of a good courage," you find it repeated — not once, not twice, but more than a dozen times. That repetition is not accidental. God knows how quickly fear grips the human heart. Every generation needs the reminder: strength and courage are not qualities you generate on your own. They are gifts drawn from the presence of a God who never leaves.
This article walks through the most powerful KJV Bible verses about strength and courage — who wrote them, what situation they addressed, and what they mean for you today. Whether you are walking into a hard conversation, a season of prolonged suffering, or a decision that terrifies you, Scripture has a word for that moment.
The Command That Started It All: Joshua 1:9
No verse on strength and courage hits with quite the same force as God's charge to Joshua at the start of his leadership. Moses was dead. The man who had parted the Red Sea, received the Law on Sinai, and led Israel for forty years was gone. Joshua had been second-in-command his whole life. Now it was his turn to lead two million people into territory occupied by fortified cities and seasoned armies.
Into that moment, God speaks — not with a pep talk, but with a command backed by a promise:
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
— Joshua 1:9, KJV
Notice the structure. God does not say "try to be courageous" or "I hope you can be brave." He frames courage as a command. The Hebrew word translated "strong" here is chazaq — to fasten, to hold firm, to refuse to be moved. And "of a good courage" translates ‘amats — to be alert, bold, and decisive enough to act. Together they describe someone whose inner life is anchored and whose outward action follows from that anchor.
The basis of the command is the final clause: "for the LORD thy God is with thee." The courage God requires, He also provides through His presence. You do not manufacture it. You receive it.
When Strength Runs Out: Isaiah 40:29–31
Joshua's call was about stepping into battle. But what about the exhaustion of a long season? What about the person who has been holding on for months — maybe years — and feels nothing is changing? Isaiah 40 was written for exactly that kind of weariness.
The chapter addresses Israel in exile — not a short trial, but a national catastrophe stretching across decades. The people felt forgotten, unseen, and depleted. God's response, delivered through Isaiah, is one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture:
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:29–31, KJV
The word "wait" in verse 31 is the Hebrew qavah — to bind together, to twist into a cord. It pictures the idea of intertwining your life with God's, pulling your hope from His strength rather than your own reserves. The three-stage picture that follows — mounting like eagles, running, walking — actually moves from the spectacular to the ordinary. The greatest test of endurance is not the dramatic surge but the daily plod. God promises strength for all of it.
For more encouragement during extended trials, see our Bible verses about hope and Bible verses about faith.
Courage Grounded in God's Loyalty: Deuteronomy 31:6
Before Joshua received his charge in Joshua 1, Moses had already given the same charge to all of Israel. Deuteronomy 31 records Moses's final address — he is 120 years old, knowing he will not cross the Jordan. His concern is not for himself but for the people left behind:
“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.”
— Deuteronomy 31:6, KJV
The phrase "he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" is significant. To fail (raphah) means to let your grip go slack — to drop someone. To forsake (‘azab) means to abandon. God promises He will do neither. This is not performance-based loyalty. It is covenantal — woven into who God is, not what Israel (or you) have earned.
This verse is quoted again in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:5, confirming that it applies across both covenants. The promise is for you.
Fear Is Not From God: 2 Timothy 1:7 and Psalm 27:1
Paul's second letter to Timothy was written from prison — quite possibly the last letter Paul wrote before his execution. Timothy was young, prone to timidity, and leading a difficult church. Paul's pastoral word cuts to the root:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7, KJV
The Greek word for "fear" here is deilia — cowardice, timidity, the shrinking back from duty out of dread. Paul is not talking about the reverential fear of God, which Scripture calls the beginning of wisdom. He is talking about the paralysing fear that keeps you from doing what God called you to do. That spirit, he says, does not come from God.
David understood this long before Paul. In Psalm 27, he names what grounds his courage:
“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?”
— Psalm 27:1, KJV
David was writing this during a season where armies were encamped against him. His courage was not detachment from the danger — he felt it. But he had settled a question before the crisis arrived: who is stronger, my enemy or my God? The answer determined everything. Settling that question before the hard moment comes is half the battle.
Explore more on this theme in our list of Bible verses about fear.
How to Apply These Verses When Fear Arrives
1. Settle the Question Before the Crisis
David had decided who God was before armies surrounded him. When fear arrives at 2 a.m., you do not have the mental bandwidth to reason through theology from scratch. Read and pray these verses during quiet seasons so they are loaded and ready. Courage is forged in advance, not improvised on the spot.
2. Identify What You Are Actually Afraid Of
Vague fear is the hardest to fight. Name it specifically: "I am afraid of failing this job interview." "I am afraid of what the doctor will say." Once named, bring that specific fear to a specific verse. Joshua 1:9 works for stepping into something new. Isaiah 40:31 works for sustained exhaustion. The precision matters.
3. Distinguish Fear From God's Spirit
Paul's point in 2 Timothy 1:7 is diagnostic: when a spirit of cowardice arrives — telling you to shrink back, hide, stay silent — ask where it comes from. God's Spirit produces power, love, and a sound mind (sophronismos — self-discipline, clearheadedness). If what you are feeling is paralyzing and disorienting, it is not from God. Reject it on those grounds.
4. Wait Actively, Not Passively
"Wait upon the LORD" in Isaiah 40:31 is not passive resignation. The Hebrew qavah is an active, expectant posture — like a servant who is alert and ready for instructions. Waiting on God means keeping your eyes on Him while the situation is unresolved: praying, reading Scripture, obeying what you already know to do, and trusting that He will act in His time.
5. Do the Next Right Thing
Courage is not the elimination of fear — it is action taken in spite of it. Moses still had to raise his staff. Joshua still had to cross the Jordan. You still have to make the call, send the email, or show up. The strength God provides is not a feeling that arrives first and then you act. Often it arrives in the act of obedience itself. Take the step; the strength follows.
More KJV Verses on Strength and Courage
"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."
— Psalm 31:24, KJV"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
— Philippians 4:13, KJV"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
— 1 Corinthians 16:13, KJV"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
— Psalm 46:1, KJV"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
— Isaiah 41:10, KJV"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."
— Ephesians 6:10, KJVNotice how many of these verses pair strength with an external source: strength "in the Lord," through Christ, from God as refuge. Scripture consistently redirects you away from self-reliance and toward a God whose strength has no ceiling. The apostle Paul makes this point most personally in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where God tells him: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." The admission of weakness is not the problem — it is the starting point. See also our full collection of Bible verses about strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about being strong and courageous?
The Bible repeatedly commands God's people to be strong and courageous, most famously in Joshua 1:9: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." The command is grounded not in human will-power but in God's presence — courage flows from knowing He is with you.
Which KJV verse is best for when I feel weak and afraid?
Isaiah 40:31 is widely treasured for this: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." It promises that those who look to God — not their own resources — will be supernaturally sustained even through prolonged trials.
Is courage a command or a gift in the Bible?
Both. God commands courage ("Be strong and of a good courage," Deuteronomy 31:6), and He also gives it as a gift through the Holy Spirit ("For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind," 2 Timothy 1:7). The command is real — courage requires a choice — but God empowers that choice when we trust Him.
What is the difference between strength and courage in Scripture?
In Hebrew, the word most often translated "strength" (chazaq) refers to being firm and unyielding — not being moved by external pressure. "Courage" often translates the same root or the word 'amats, meaning to be alert and bold enough to act. They appear together in the Bible because inner firmness (strength) enables outward action (courage). You cannot have one without the other for long.
How do I pray for more strength and courage?
Pray directly from Scripture. Use Psalm 27:14 as a template: acknowledge God as your light and salvation, name what you fear, and ask Him to strengthen your heart as you wait on Him. Praying His own words back to Him is a proven biblical pattern — the Psalms themselves are prayers drawn from promises.