How can we use scripture to help us overcome the fear of deatch?
It’s normal to fear death even as a Christian. The disciples of Jesus Christ had the same fear as they always felt nervous and uncomfortable when Jesus spoke about his death even though they had seen Jesus raising Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter from the dead.
God constantly tells us to “fear not”. Through these Bible verses to help you overcome the fear of death you will learn that constant turmoil, worry, and anxiety about death is not God’s plan for you.
He wants you to experience his peace and think differently about death. For Christians, death is not the end but the beginning of eternal life with God in the Shelter of the Most High.. The Bible pictures a life in eternity that helps us look forward to it and not fear it.
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Bible Verses for Fear of Death
The fear of death can paralyze you so that you stop living fully and experiencing the goodness of God on earth. It can affect your relationships too as you constantly think of losing those close to you and you become obsessed with their whereabouts, safety, and movements.
But God through his word, has been gracious to give us these 21 Bible verses for fear of death. They will uplift us so that fear doesn’t control us but that we would have faith in God and his promises to us.
As you meditate on these scriptures, allow God calm your anxious heart.
Matthew 6:34
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NIV
When we think about the future, we often think of death and leaving our loved ones behind. But in this verse, Jesus encourages us not to worry about tomorrow and dying.
God’s word continually reminds us to focus on today, be intentional about the time with those we love, spread the Gospel to the lost, serve God in the church, and use our talents for his kingdom.
That should occupy our time and thoughts not what will happen tomorrow because we really can’t control it.
Hebrews 2:14-15
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. “ Hebrews 2:14-15 NKJV
There was a time when the enemy had the power of death. That time has long gone past. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has destroyed the devil and set us free from the fear of death.
We are no longer subject to bondage but set free to serve and worship our King. This is a free gift of God and the good news of the gospel!
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin [by which it brings death] is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 AMP
Sin brings the sting of death and separation from God. If we die without repenting and being saved, we will experience the sting of death and be separated from God forever.
But Jesus Christ removed the sting of sin and bore all our sins on the cross. In Him, we have become conquerors and have been given victory over sin and death.
John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3 NKJV
This is a guarantee from Jesus Christ Himself to his disciples then and to us as well. He knew that the fear of death and the unknown would paralyze us. So, he told us not to be troubled but rather to have faith and believe in Him.
When he died and rose again, he went to heaven to prepare a place for us that we will go to and join him in eternity.
1 John 2:17
“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17 NKJV
In this verse from the word of God, we learn that this world is not our home. This world is temporary and we are here for a short time. When we are obedient to the Lord, we will live forever.
Philippians 3:20
“But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20 AMP
As Christians, we are unique because our spiritual citizenship is in heaven. We long for heaven and are awaiting the time when we will be with Jesus Christ forever.
This helps us overcome the fear of death because we realize that we belong to heaven, which is a permanent place. This is God’s promise to all of His children!
1 Thessalonians 4:13
“Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life].” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 AMP
When we experience the death of a loved one it should not leave us hopeless and anxious about our death. Rather we have hope that we will be raised in power and the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NIV
The natural body we have is weak and perishable. At times it dishonors God but it wants to do things that are opposed to God’s kingdom.
But our spiritual body is imperishable and everlasting. It is raised in glory and desires to please God. So we look forward to a spiritual body because it is powerful and eternal.
1 John 5:13
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God“ 1 John 5:13 NKJV
When we believe in the name of Jesus Christ, we are promised eternal life. No matter what we go through or how tough things become, we are encouraged because we know eternity awaits us when we enter the Kingdom of God in Heaven!
John 11:25
“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” John 11:25 NKJV
Jesus Himself is the resurrection and the life. We don’t fear death because he assures us that as he was raised from the dead, we will also rise from the dead even after dying.
Romans 6:5
“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Romans 6:5 NKJV
As Jesus’ disciples, we share with him the sufferings of this world, in his death, and in His resurrection too. We are always with him and united in all our experiences. If Jesus went through death and resurrection, we will do so as well so we don’t fear death.
Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.” Psalm 23:4 AMP
Psalm 23 is one of the most popular chapters in the Bible. David says here that God comforts and consoles him when he is scared of evil and even death.
God is always with you and this helps to drive away any fears you may have including death. He guides and protects us because he loves us so deeply.
Isaiah 41:10
“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
God will strengthen us in our time of need if we go to Him in prayer. The Holy Spirit will remind us of the victory, and peace we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
His presence will always be with you and as you trust Him, he will uphold you and help you to not be scared of death.
Psalm 34:4
“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.”Psalm 34:4 NLT
In Christ there is freedom. This is a powerful scripture to help you overcome the fear of death. In prayer and believing God’s promises you can be set free from this fear.
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
The spirit of the fear of death is not from the Lord but rather it’s from the enemy. God has given us a spirit of love for him and for one another. We also have victory and power and a sound mind in Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].” 1 John 4:18 AMP
The Bible assures us that when we experience the unconditional love of God, we will not be afraid of death. We will long for more of Him, His presence, and His glory. We can be confident that there is no punishment waiting for us but only love when we leave this world.
Romans 8:37-39
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 NKJV
Nothing can ever separate us from the love God has for us, not even death. Because we are more than conquerors, we can overcome the fear of death with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:8
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8 NIV
Knowing who you belong to helps you to be courageous even when you’re tempted to be fearful. Whether you live or die you are God’s child, he still loves you as your father and he will still fulfill all his promises from the Bible in your life.
Philippians 1:22-23
“But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.” Philippians 1:22-23 NLT
The Apostle Paul is an example of someone who was not afraid of dying. We see in his letters that he was torn between doing the purpose of God by spreading the Gospel across the world to going to be with the Lord.
He was intentional about his mission and a fruitful laborer. But at the end of the day, he knew and was confident in the fact that being with the Lord would be better than being here on earth.
2 Corinthians 5:8
“Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT
Apostle Paul had confidence in where he would go after death. Because he knew that he was a citizen of heaven, home was heaven for him and he longed to be there and not this world where we are strangers.
Revelation 21:4
“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the [a]former order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4 AMP
One of the most effective ways to help you overcome the fear of death is reframing how you think of eternity. Unlike here on earth where we face violence, crime, troubles, and heartache, in heaven there will be no tears, death, sorrow, or anguish.
Everything we see now would have passed away and we will be reunited with our God and Lord Jesus Christ in a peaceful and perfect place.
The fear of death can stare us right in the face, especially after the suddenness of death to someone close to us.
God knew that we would have this fear that’s why he intentionally put these uplifting Bible verses to give you great comfort and to help you overcome the fear of death.
We will never know when and how we will die. But we do know what awaits us because Christ assures us that when we believe in Him, he will prepare a place for us and we will be together forever with him.
If studying the Bible better is on your list of things to do this year, be sure to visit our Bible Study Resources page where you’ll find everything you need to make Bible study a regular part of your daily routine.
The love of God shown on the Cross by Jesus is the same love that will help us overcome the fear of our own death.
We will not be separated from God in death but He will always be with us. Let these word of comfort guide you experience this type of loss.
This gives us confidence in the future and we can choose to hold onto the peace of God when fear grips us. We can then face death with faith in Jesus Christ.
