Bible verses about strength
The Bible consistently locates strength outside the person who needs it. Philippians 4:13 says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you; Isaiah 40:31 promises renewed strength to those who wait on the Lord; and 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 goes furthest, saying strength is made perfect in weakness rather than in spite of it.
12 verses about strength
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV) →29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 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) →9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (KJV) →1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Psalms 46:1-2 (KJV) →10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV) →7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalms 28:7 (KJV) →2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Exodus 15:2 (KJV) →10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Ephesians 6:10 (KJV) →26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Psalms 73:26 (KJV) →19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3:19 (KJV) →11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
1 Chronicles 16:11 (KJV) →6 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) →
Philippians 4:13, read in context
This verse appears on a great deal of sports equipment, and the context is nearly the opposite of achievement. Paul writes it while describing how he has learned to be content whether well fed or hungry, in abundance or in need. The all things he can do through Christ are, in the immediate passage, the things endured rather than the things won. That does not make the verse smaller. It makes it usable on the days when nothing is being accomplished and the task is simply to keep going.
Strength made perfect in weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is the most counterintuitive passage on this subject. Paul asks three times for a difficulty to be removed, is told no, and is given a reason: my strength is made perfect in weakness. He then says he will glory in his infirmities. This is not a recommendation to seek out hardship. It is an observation that the places where you have run out of your own resources are the places where something else becomes visible. Isaiah 40:29-31 makes the same point more gently — he gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might he increases strength.
Where strength is described as coming from
Nehemiah 8:10 offers an unusual source: the joy of the Lord is your strength, said to people who were weeping. Psalm 28:7 and Exodus 15:2 both use the language of a shield and a song together, as though morale and protection are related. Psalm 73:26 is the most honest of them — my flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart. It concedes the failure first. None of these passages promise that you will feel strong; they relocate where the strength is kept.
Scripture quoted from the King James Version, which is in the public domain. Esther reads the ESV, NIV and NLT in the app.