What does the Bible teach about confidence?

TL;DR:

The Bible teaches us that confidence comes from Christ—who He is and what He has done. Believers can be confident that they are saved, that their identity is in Christ, and that God is always at work for what is good.

what does the bible say?

To have confidence is to have belief that you can rely on someone or something. We trust those in whom we have confidence. The world tells us to have confidence in ourselves and our ability to accomplish our goals or realize our dreams. Rich people are often confident in their wealth. The powerful are often confident in their strength and position. The worldly wise are often confident in their own wisdom. Christians, however, find their confidence elsewhere. The source of Christian confidence is not in himself or herself but in God Himself (Jeremiah 9:23–24). The goal of the Christian life is not selfish ambition but the glory of God (Philippians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 10:31). God's Son accomplished our salvation, God's Spirit applies our salvation, and God's Word contains the promises that these things are true and that we can have confidence in God and the salvation He has given to us who believe in His Son.

from the old testament

The source of a Christian confidence is not in himself or herself but in God Himself (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
As Christians, we are warned not to trust in ourselves or our own wisdom but to trust in God (Proverbs 3:5–6).
God is our confidence, our rock, our refuge (Psalm 18:2).

from the new testament

Whereas the self-confidence promoted by the world has selfish ambition as its goal, the Christian's confidence does not come from the self. In fact, the Scriptures warn us not to trust in ourselves and that no spiritual good comes from our flesh (John 15:5; Philippians 3:3).
The apostle Paul pointed out all the advantages of the flesh in which he could boast. Then, he calls all such advantages rubbish. What matters is not our pedigree or résumé but knowing God through faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:4–9).
As believers in Christ, we are called to have confidence not in our strength but in the power of God the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4–5).
When we acknowledge our weakness, we are at our strongest because this is when we rely on God's strength (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
We are like unplugged appliances and God is the power outlet. Until we plug into Him, we are powerless, but when we depend on Him we have the power of the eternal God working within us (1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 3:20).
God does not give His people a spirit of timidity but His Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
We have confidence in Christ, for it is only through trusting in Jesus that we can be reconciled to God, come to know Him, and experience an eternal loving relationship with God (John 14:1, 6; 2 Corinthians 5:18–19).
We cannot merit salvation on our own (Romans 5:6–8; Ephesians 2:1–10). We cannot even guarantee our plans for tomorrow (James 4:13–17). But in Christ, we can be confident that we are eternally secure (John 10:28–30). God knows what our tomorrows hold; He goes before us and walks through life with us.
As Christians, we are called to have confidence in God—that the good work of salvation He has begun in us will be completed by Him (Philippians 1:6).
We are to be confident that when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ we will be accepted by God based on the righteousness of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We are to be confident that we can boldly approach God in prayer and will receive His mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–23).
We are to be confident that God loves us and that He who did not spare His Son will also not fail to give us everything we need (Luke 11:9–13; Romans 8:32).
God's Word communicates precious promises to us, and we are called to have confidence in God's Son, God's Spirit, and God's Word (Ephesians 1:13–14; Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:3–4).

implications for today

Our confidence in Christ does not mean that we should not have self-confidence or self-respect. The issue is the source of our confidence. If we are confident based solely on our own abilities, we will ultimately disappoint ourselves, but if we are confident in Christ, we have confidence because our identity is in Him. We can trust that He made us unique for a purpose, and we can seek to live out in confidence that purpose through His power and grace.

The things of the world are uncertain, but God is certain. Because God is completely trustworthy and secure, we can open ourselves to the risk of trusting others. We know that others will fail us, but their failures need not rock our sense of security because our true confidence is in Christ. When we are children of a God who is steadfast and reliable, we can truly open our hearts to others—to love them and to receive love from them. Again, it is not that we have no confidence in other people or in earthly endeavors but rather that we do not rely on those things for our security. Rather, we place our complete confidence in God, trusting that He is steadfast, loves us completely, and has all power. Things may happen that we do not understand or prefer, but when we know God, we can rest in Him and trust that He is good (Romans 8:1–39). Our confidence to engage fully in these lives is founded in our faith in God, a God who is absolutely trustworthy (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:16–18).

understand

Confidence comes from trusting God, not ourselves.
Confidence is rooted in Christ’s salvation, not personal achievements.
Confidence grows through trusting God’s promises and faithfulness.

reflect

What does it look like to place your confidence in God’s promises rather than in yourself or your own abilities?
How does knowing your identity is in Christ change the way you approach challenges or setbacks?
In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God’s strength more than your own?

engage

How can believers demonstrate confidence in Christ to a world that promotes self-reliance?
What are some practical ways to shift from self-confidence to confidence in God’s power and guidance?
How can we engage with others to explore what it means to place complete trust in God rather than in worldly success?