How can I learn to fear no evil (Psalm 23:4)?

Restoration Kingdom Living Life

TL;DR:

You don't overcome fear by pretending evil isn't real—you overcome it by trusting that God is greater than anything you face. Even in life's darkest valleys, God gives believers what they need to walk forward without fear.

what does the bible say?

The Bible indicates that we can overcome fear by leaning on God to get us through. Psalm 23 is an example of that. The Old Testament recounts David's many trials, from running for his life (from Saul and from David's own son) to the death of a child to the kingdom almost being taken from him and more. While Psalm 23 doesn't tell us when David wrote it, it shows David's reliance on God through trials. The reason David didn't fear evil is found in the very words within Psalm 23:4: He knew God was with him.

The Bible contains many examples that teach the importance of relying on God through fearful circumstances. When Nehemiah set out to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, he faced strong opposition but conquered his fear by his confidence that God would give him success (Nehemiah 2:20, 4:14), and He did. King Asa was punished for allowing his fear to overcome him so that he sought help from a foreign power rather than on God (2 Chronicles 16:1–10).

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to expect suffering in life and to abide in Him (John 16:33, 15:4-5), which shows how to overcome the fear of suffering. Paul experienced much pain—some of it that would easily lead to death—yet he repeatedly relied on God's strength to get through it (2 Corinthians 1:5, 1:8-10; Philippians 4:13). Evil is part of this broken world, but Scripture teaches us that our trust and confidence in God can overcome any fear of evil.

from the old testament

Psalm 23:4 says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." The reason David doesn't fear evil (even death) is answered in what follows that word: "for you [God] are with me." God doesn't promise a pain-free life; He promises that He will be with us through it.
David reaffirms his confidence in God in Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (cf. Psalm 118:6).
God wants His children to rely on Him. God punished King Asa of Judah for relying on a foreign king to help him fight against Israel rather than seeking God's help (2 Chronicles 16:1–10). Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." Our hope and strength is in God.
Nehemiah was able to overcome the opposition to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem through his confidence in God's power to overcome any enemy (Nehemiah 2:20, 4:14).

from the new testament

In Psalm 23:4, David doesn't mean that God will rescue us from all tribulation in this life; David expressed his confidence in God even though he experienced many trials, and Jesus warns us to expect tribulation (John 16:33). Suffering is a consequence of our broken world and part of being an obedient child of God (2 Timothy 3:12). When we abide in Christ, He strengthens us through our trials so that fear of man is secondary to confidence in Christ (John 15:4-5).
Believers "share abundantly in Christ's sufferings" and "abundantly in comfort too." (2 Corinthians 1:5). God comforts us through our trials, just as David expressed in Psalm 23.
In one missionary journey with Timothy, Paul speaks of being "so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again" (2 Corinthians 1:8-10; emphasis added). God wants us to rely on Him as we walk through the valleys of despair in our lives.
Paul later wrote to believers in Philippi, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). "All things" means even those things that would cause us to fear.

implications for today

Was the bogeyman in your closet or under your bed? (Maybe both?) Kids fear imagined threats. Adults fear real ones: sickness, death of loved ones, persecution. In some parts of the world, Christians are persecuted, tortured, and even killed for their faith.

Yet amazingly, more often than not, faith often becomes stronger during trials. Why? How? The answer is in turning to God, relying on Him rather than on our own strength.

Are you going through a trial in your life? How are you dealing with it? If it's to turn away from God, you'll never find the comfort you're seeking. Pray—that God will give you strength, that He will help you see what He wants you to get from this suffering (Romans 8:28). And even praise Him. Thank Him for the beauty of creation, for the good you have had in your life, and for giving you hope in a hopelessly broken world. He will not forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

understand

Psalm 23 shows us that we can face evil by relying on God's presence in our lives.
God does not remove all trials from life, but He helps His children get through them.
God has promised never to leave us, no matter what comes our way.

reflect

In what trials in your life is God inviting you to trust His presence rather than your own ability to control the outcome?
When you walk through difficult seasons, what do your responses reveal about where you are placing your confidence?
Looking back on past trials, how have you seen God's faithfulness sustain, strengthen, or comfort you in ways you might have overlooked at the time?

engage

How can believers support each other through trials and tribulations?
How can suffering and hardship deepen a believer's faith and dependence on God rather than weaken it?
What practical habits help Christians replace fear with trust when facing trials, uncertainty, or opposition?

More Resources

Life

How does the Bible address fear?

. The Bible distinguishes between the healthy fear of the Lord and the harmful "spirit of fear." Trusting in God’s perfect love and living in His spirit of power, love, and self-control frees us from fear’s grip.

Humanity

Why should I trust in God and how can I learn to trust in Him?

We can trust God because He is good, faithful, unchanging, and true. As we spend time with Him in His Word, through prayer, and by recounting His faithfulness, we grow in our understanding of who He is and learn to trust in Him.

Theology

What does the Bible say about faith vs. fear?

Faith is the opposite of fear. Faith is the confident trust in the God who made the universe, who loves us unconditionally, and who wants us to abide with Him. God encourages us not to fear but to trust in His goodness and mercy.

Christian Life

Why are trials and tribulations part of the Christian life?

Trials and tribulations exist as a result of the world's fallen state due to sin, yet God’s goodness and purpose remain evident even in the midst of suffering. While trials may be challenging, they are temporary, and God uses them to shape us and bring glory to Himself.