We hear it all the time: “Stay strong.” But what I love about the Christian walk is that the strength isn’t ours to uphold. It's God’s. And He’s never dropped the ball, never lost a battle, and will forever use joy, songs, and truth to push us through the night.
As we rang in 2021 (likely at home with few, if any, friends over) we anticipated a better year — a year with more hope, less hurt, and a promise of ease. Unfortunately, the angst and tension of 2020 has carried over with little proof of going away any time soon.
With so much bottled-up anger spewing over, it seems that we need a chill pill, the kind of pill that comes from a heavenly pharmacy, but maybe it’s not the “chill” factor that we need. Perhaps, we can use the tension, the frustration, and yes, even our opinions to bring peace. But that takes a different sort of strength, not the Hulk-like power that smashes and crashes through problems (only to create a bigger mess), but rather, a strength that calls us to challenge sin and encourage one another.
Here are 20 Bible quotes from Scripture (all taken from the English Standard Version) that harness the right kind of power and strength:
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God as the Source of Strength
1. Isaiah 41:10 – Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my right hand.
While few Christians can locate the book of Isaiah in the Bible, they can quote this verse. It’s a popular one, an easy one to memorize. Yet, it’s so easy to memorize that we forget to process the part that says God strengthens us. We neglect the reality that strength is something we must harness from a source, the Source, outside of ourselves.
2. Isaiah 40:29 – He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Odds are, you’ve had that fainting feeling this year. It might not be anything physical, but your mind and heart are face down on the ground, but God is the Lifter of our heads, a constant source of strength when ours is depleted.
3. Exodus 15:13 – You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
Forget a humble abode! When you remember that the same power of God that redeemed you is the same power that will bring you through and through, you have a holy, eternal abode, a place where you’re forever safe.
4. Ephesians 3:16 – That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
When we think of “heavenly riches,” we often think of streets paved with gold, the entry gates lined with pearls. But what if part of those beautiful riches is the joy, love, and even strength that Christ takes from His heavenly realm and pours out on earth for us?
5. 2 Corinthians 4:16 – So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Once we realize that the “outer self is wasting,” that we are finite creatures, we can focus on what’s eternal, the things that matter on the inside. From that perspective, Christ can shift our hearts and minds toward heaven.
God as the Protector of Strength
6. 1 Corinthians 10:13 – God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
We need strength in the spiritual realm, just as our bodies need the physical strength to push through a long, grueling, 24-hour day. We can condition our physical bodies with stretches, calisthenics, and all the other gym life things, but when it comes to temptation, Christ uses His strength to shield and protect us.
7. 1 Chronicles 16:11 – Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
As a former personal trainer, I can tell you with confidence (and science) that if you take anything more than a 2-week break from physical exercise, your muscle mass immediately decreases, your cardio capacity weans away, and your overall physical condition declines. That’s it—only 2 weeks for everything to go backwards. The same happens with your spirit. To be fully equipped, we have to seek The Lord and His strength daily.
8. Deuteronomy 20:4 – For the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
The best part, the most humbling part, of our faith is that Christ is the ultimate winner. The victory is His because the strength is His. As Christians, it’s our honor to use His strength to help mend hearts and souls on earth.
9. Isaiah 12:2 – Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
As a piano and ukulele player, I’m always fond of Bible verses that incorporate Christ’s character with music and singing. He uses the simplest of things, like a song, as a means for us to feel the overwhelming presence of his power.
10. 2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
This is one of my personal favorite verses. It’s centered on Paul’s conversation in which he begs God to remove his thorn in the side. Yet, God knows that our weaknesses are the perfect avenue for His power. Beauty from ashes, right?
Waiting as God’s Tool for Strength
11. Psalm 31:24 – Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
I wish that I was a patience master, but I’m nowhere close. Yet, this tug-of-war battle I wage with patience is the very place that God works on me the most, teaching me to wait on His strength that’s actually been there all along. (I’ve just been too worried, fast-paced, and stressed to even notice it.)
12. Psalm 138:3 – On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.
Often, we assume that we’re the ones waiting on God. But what if God is waiting on us? Waiting on us to be still and know, to face the quiet and search our souls, to simply call on Him so that the strength of our souls is increased?
13. Isaiah 30:15 – For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Remember that last verse about waiting in the quiet? Yeah, God mentions this concept countless times as an avenue for strength.
14. Romans 5:6 – For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Perfect timing is God’s thing; it’s what He loves to map out. If God waited for the perfect time to send His Son—amidst civil unrest, starvation, and an ultimate craving for the Savior, then He knows exactly when and where you need His strength. Just hang in there. His timing is never wrong.
15. 2 Samuel 22:40 – For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.
You have to prep for the hard things in life. Not that you get a fair warning before bad, terrible things happen, but to trudge through the gray patches in life, you have to be equipped. You have to take time to put on the right armor, to prepare your mind. And that comes from patience, mixed with God as the source of your warrior attire.
God’s Strength as Our Joy
16. Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Life is crazy—no secret, right? But we all want joy and peace: the things that steady our heads and hearts. You can have both joy and peace, but only if you harness it through the Holy Spirit and the power He has to bring tranquility to your heart amidst the chaos of 2021.
17. Psalm 27:6 – And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
When you’re surrounded and really need that warrior attire, it’s already available. Joy is yours for the taking, and it’s as simple as shouting His praise, using His strength as a reason to lift a song.
18. James 1:2-4 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If you’re a Christian school kid like me, or have simply grown up in the church, you know these verses like the back of your hand. But do we really understand these verses? Or just check the box that we’ve memorized the Scripture? If we understand these words, then we believe that joy comes from hard times, and hard times are the breeding ground for God’s strength to prevail.
This is where miracles happen, where non-believers think, “I don’t know what this girl has, but whatever it is, I want it too.”
19. Romans 12: 12 – Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
We need hope and strength and joy to combat reality. No secret. But if we’re willing to accept that things won’t always be easy, then perhaps we’re willing to accept that prayer is not only a necessity for our spiritual sanity, but a surefire way to experience a joy that subsides the scariest, worst thoughts and feelings that life might throw our way.
20. Psalm 5:11 – But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
If you haven’t noticed yet, I love the Psalms. I love them because they are an honest depiction of the highs and lows we battle through in this Christian life. I love this verse because it reminds me that my strength isn’t even mine to hold onto. Rather, my strength comes from His hiding place, a place where I am forever sheltered and safe because His strength covers me forever and ever, amen.
We hear it all the time: “Stay strong.” But what I love about the Christian walk is that the strength isn’t ours to uphold. It's God’s. And He’s never dropped the ball, never lost a battle, and will forever use joy, songs, and truth to push us through the night.
Further Reading
20 Bible Quotes about Strength: Be Strong and Courageous!
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