19 Bible Verses About Persistence

Romans 2:7

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

Reflection: Paul has just said that God “will repay each person according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6). Verse 7 describes those who seek “glory, honor and immortality” by persistence in doing good and says God will give them eternal life; verse 8 sets against them those who are “self-seeking” and “reject the truth.” The word for persistence is hupomone, the same noun translated “perseverance” in Romans 5:3-4.

Galatians 6:9

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Reflection: Paul closes a passage on sowing and reaping: “whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8). Verse 9 applies the picture to doing good, with the harvest coming “at the proper time” and on one condition, “if we do not give up.” Verse 10 turns it into instruction: “let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Reflection: The verse ends Paul’s chapter on the resurrection of the dead, and its “Therefore” points back to that argument and to the thanks in verse 57 to God, who “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because the dead will be raised, Paul tells the Corinthians to stand firm and let nothing move them, and that their labor in the Lord “is not in vain.”

Luke 12:43

“It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.”

Reflection: Jesus describes a “faithful and wise manager” whom the master puts in charge of giving the other servants their food. That servant is blessed if the master finds him still doing that work when he returns. Jesus then supposes the same servant says to himself, “My master is taking a long time in coming” (Luke 12:45), and starts beating the other servants and getting drunk; the master comes on a day he does not expect and punishes him. The test in the parable is whether the servant keeps working through the delay.

Romans 5:3-4

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Reflection: Paul writes to believers who “have been justified through faith” and have “peace with God” (Romans 5:1). The chain runs from suffering to perseverance, from perseverance to character, and from character to hope. Verse 5 completes it: “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”

James 1:2-4

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Reflection: James begins his letter with this instruction to believers facing “trials of many kinds.” The testing of their faith produces perseverance, and perseverance then has work of its own to finish: making them “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:12

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Reflection: Later in the same chapter James returns to trials with a blessing. The one who perseveres and has “stood the test” receives “the crown of life,” which the verse says the Lord promised “to those who love him.” The same crown is promised to the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:10.

Luke 8:15

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

Reflection: Jesus is explaining the parable of the sower. The seed on rocky ground stands for those who “believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away” (Luke 8:13), and the seed among thorns for those “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures” (Luke 8:14). The good soil stands for those who hear the word, retain it and produce a crop “by persevering.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Reflection: The “cloud of witnesses” are the people of faith named in Hebrews 11. The writer tells readers to run “with perseverance” and to fix their eyes on Jesus, who “endured the cross, scorning its shame.” Verse 3 gives the reason: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 10:36

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Reflection: The writer reminds readers of the earlier days when they “endured in a great conflict full of suffering,” were publicly insulted and “joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property” (Hebrews 10:32-34). The verse tells them to keep on, so that after doing God’s will they receive what he promised. The chapter ends with a quotation from Scripture, “my righteous one will live by faith,” and the line “we do not belong to those who shrink back” (Hebrews 10:38-39).

Philippians 3:14

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Reflection: Paul says plainly that he has not “already arrived at my goal” (Philippians 3:12). The one thing he does is to forget “what is behind” and strain “toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). Pressing on is his description of himself while still in the race, with the prize set by God’s call “heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 4:7

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Reflection: Paul writes with his death in view: “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near” (2 Timothy 4:6). The three clauses of verse 7 are in the past tense, looking back over his life’s work. Verse 8 names the reward, “the crown of righteousness,” and extends it to “all who have longed for his appearing.”

Revelation 2:10

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”

Reflection: The risen Christ, “the First and the Last, who died and came to life again,” speaks to the church in Smyrna, which he says is poor and slandered. He warns that the devil will put some of them in prison “to test you” and that they will suffer persecution “for ten days.” He calls them to be faithful to death, and verse 11 adds that the one who is victorious “will not be hurt at all by the second death.”

Isaiah 40:31

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Reflection: Isaiah answers Israel’s complaint, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God” (Isaiah 40:27). The reply is that the Creator “will not grow tired or weary” and “gives strength to the weary.” Even young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the LORD renew their strength, and the verse ends with running and walking without growing weary.

Colossians 1:11

“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,”

Reflection: The verse is part of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians, sent from Paul and Timothy, who write, “we have not stopped praying for you” (Colossians 1:9). They ask that they be strengthened with God’s power for a stated purpose, “great endurance and patience.” The word for endurance is hupomone, and in the next verse the prayer moves on to “giving joyful thanks to the Father.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Reflection: Paul is describing his own work as an apostle. Each of the four pairs sets a hardship against a limit it did not reach. Just before, verse 7 states the purpose of holding the treasure in “jars of clay”: “to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Later in the chapter he says, “Therefore we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16), with the same verb Luke 18:1 translates “give up.”

Luke 18:1

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Reflection: Luke states the point of the parable before Jesus tells it. A widow “kept coming” to a judge who “neither feared God nor cared what people thought,” and he grants her justice because “this widow keeps bothering me” (Luke 18:5). Jesus argues from the unjust judge to God, who will “bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night,” and ends with a question: “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7-8).

Luke 11:9-10

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Reflection: These verses follow the parable of a man who goes to a friend at midnight to borrow three loaves. The friend in bed will not get up for friendship’s sake, but he will get up “because of your shameless audacity” (Luke 11:8). Jesus then gives the commands to ask, seek and knock, with the promise that everyone who asks receives.

Colossians 4:2

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Reflection: “Devote” translates proskartereo, which Strong’s defines as “to persevere, be constantly diligent.” Acts 2:42 uses the same verb of the believers in Jerusalem, who “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Paul, writing while “in chains” (Colossians 4:3), asks the Colossians to pray that God will “open a door for our message.”