It’s amazing how many scriptures there are about lions! So, in this devotional, we’ll read Powerful Bible Verses about Lions and discover the meaning behind the image of this majestic animal in scripture.
What does a lion in the Bible symbolize?
Lions are the king of the jungle for a reason!
They strut and roar and strike fear into the heart of anything that crosses their path. Just by the way they carry themselves, we know they’re in charge of the animal kingdom and the top of the food chain.
So, is it any wonder that the lion is a symbol of strength and courage in the Bible?
You probably already knew that, but it’s deeper.
This majestic animal represents many different things in scripture. The glory of God, the Savior Himself, wicked people in general, and the enemy are all depicted as a roaring lion on the prowl.
Lion in the Bible
The Christian life is full of pitfalls. And there might be a lion in there waiting to gobble us up.
So, if the lion represents strength and courage, then you know God’s got a lot to say to us about them. Because He doesn’t leave His children all alone to face these kinds of worldly traps.
Let’s read some of some Powerful Bible Verses about Lions and find strength and courage for today.
We’ll start with something we’re all familiar with…
Roaring Lion Bible Verses
There is nothing quite like the sound of a lion roaring. It sends chills down our spines and strikes terror in our hearts.
A fierce roaring lion demands respect. And their primal roar reminds us how fragile we truly are.
But what does the Bible say about a roaring lion?
In these Roaring Lion Scriptures, we discover what God’s Word has to say to us…
The roaring of the lion, The voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.
The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
Proverbs 19:12 NIV
For thus the Lord has spoken to me:
“As a lion roars,
And a young lion over his prey
(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,
He will not be afraid of their voice
Nor be disturbed by their noise),
So the Lord of hosts will come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
Isaiah 31:4 NKJV
They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
Psalm 22:13 NKJV
The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar;
to rouse his anger is to risk your life.
Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs.
Jeremiah 51:38 NIV
The young lions roared at him, and growled;
They made his land waste;
His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
Jeremiah 2:15 NKJV
Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue.
A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives.
Proverbs 20:2 NIV
Bible verse that says the devil is like a lion
The most popular Bible Verse about Lions comes from 1 Peter 5.
It’s a vivid description of the enemy from someone who was caught in the teeth of this lion more than once.
But here’s the catch… Satan likes to think of himself like God. He even once said he would be like the Most High. He’s an arrogant and conniving deceiver. But he’s only deceiving himself. Because he will never be like God!
So, in this roaring like a lion Bible verse, we see an example of Satan imitating Jesus. And doing a pretty poor job of it.
I pray it will encourage you when you come up against the enemy like Peter did.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8 NIV
This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev:
The caravan moves slowly
across the terrible desert to Egypt—
donkeys weighed down with riches
and camels loaded with treasure—
all to pay for Egypt’s protection.
They travel through the wilderness,
a place of lionesses and lions,
a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live.
All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.
Egypt’s promises are worthless!
Therefore, I call her Rahab—
the Harmless Dragon.
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Isaiah 14:13-14 NKJV
Read more in this Bible Study: How to Resist the Devil 1 Peter 5:8
Lion of Judah Verse
Why is Jesus called the Lion of Judah?
The strength and majesty of Jesus Christ cannot be rivaled! He is the Messiah who was promised to Judah in the Old Testament.
The first time Jesus came to earth it was to sacrifice Himself for our sins. But when He comes again it will be to rule over His kingdom.
This is the image of Jesus as a lion in the Bible. The lion ruling over the animal kingdom and taking charge of everything around him is a direct reflection Jesus’ character. He will come again, and He will rule over all of creation!
Now that we’ve read about the enemy’s cheap imitation of Jesus, let’s look at some Bible verses about the Lion of Judah. And learn how this image of the conquering Christ Jesus gives us strength and courage when we need them the most.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Revelation 5:5 King James Version
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
Genesis 49:9 NIV
God as a Lion in the Bible
Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the conquering hero, and our Savior. But scripture also depicts God the Father as a fierce, strong lion, ruling over His creation.
So, let’s read this God roaring like a lion scripture and learn more about the One True God who roars like a lion and defeats His foe with ease.
Each one is sure to fill you with confidence in your faith!
I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild beast would rip them open.
He has been to me a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in ambush.
He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces;
He has made me desolate.
The lion has roared;
who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?”
Amos 3:8 ESV
But this is what the Lord has told me:
“When a strong young lion
stands growling over a sheep it has killed,
it is not frightened by the shouts and noise
of a whole crowd of shepherds.
In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will come down and fight on Mount Zion.
If I am wicked, woe to me;
Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
See my misery!
If my head is exalted,
You hunt me like a fierce lion,
And again You show Yourself awesome against me.
Job 10:15-16 NKJV
For the waters of Dimon will be full of blood;
Because I will bring more upon Dimon,
Lions upon him who escapes from Moab,
And on the remnant of the land.”
Isaiah 15:9 NKJV
Where is the lions’ den,
the feeding place of the young lions,
where the lion and lioness went,
where his cubs were, with none to disturb?
The lion tore enough for his cubs
and strangled prey for his lionesses;
he filled his caves with prey
and his dens with torn flesh.
Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.
They will follow the Lord;
he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.
“Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?
And what shepherd can stand against me?”
Jeremiah 49:19 NIV
I have considered until morning—
Like a lion,
So He breaks all my bones;
From day until night You make an end of me.
Isaiah 38:13 NKJV
Read more in this devotional: Inspirational Bible Verses for Confidence
Daniel and the Lions Den Verse
Can you imagine being stuck in the lion’s habitat at the zoo? Surrounded by the strongest and most deadly apex predator on the planet with no way out? What a terrifying thought!
Well, that’s where Daniel found himself one night.
Even though we think of Daniel as a hero of the faith, he was also human like us. So, he must have been scared during his visit to the lion’s den.
But there’s something fascinating about Daniel’s story. The Bible doesn’t tell us what he was doing overnight surrounded by predators. Just that he was sealed up tight inside of a lion’s den.
Then God’s Word takes us to the king and how he fared during the night.
Maybe it’s because Daniel knew he had God on his side, or maybe we’re supposed to take more away from the anxiety of the king.
Whatever the reason, God has something important to teach us in this Daniel in the lions den verse…
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.
Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
Daniel 6:5 NIV
All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
Daniel 6:7 NKJV
But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
Daniel 6:10 NLT
Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.
So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
Daniel 6:12 NIV
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.
Daniel 6:17 NIV
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.
Daniel 6:19 NIV
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Daniel 6:20 King James Version
And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Daniel 6:24 ESV
Lion and Lamb Bible Verse
The image of the Lion and Lamb represents our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God, the blood sacrifice for our sins. And the Lion of Judah, conquering death.
Both depictions are a reference to His work on the cross and the salvation we have in Him!
In the following the lion and the lamb scripture we see a picture of grace and tranquility.
The lion lays down with the lamb, and the Lion and Lamb gives us salvation and a way to eternity!
Let’s read on and learn more in these lion and lamb verses.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 ESV
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord.
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
Isaiah 11:6 NIV
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isaiah 11:7 ESV
Bible Verses about Lions and Strength
As we’ve already learned, the lion represents strength and courage in a Christian’s life.
These Bible Verses about lions are a metaphor for the strength we find in knowing God and having Him on our side every day.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.
2 Timothy 4:17 NIV
who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
Hebrews 11:33 NIV
There are three things that walk with stately stride—
no, four that strut about:
a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
Proverbs 30:30 NIV
Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
Psalm 7:2 NIV
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
1 Samuel 17:34-35 NIV
Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there.
Bible Verses about Lions in Heaven
Did you know that the Old Testament book of Daniel is a mirror image of the New Testament book of Revelation? And the temple built in the Old Testament is a mirror image of heaven? Pretty amazing, right?
God gave both Daniel and John a glimpse of heaven. Through their visions (and with an assist from Ezekiel and Samuel) we can see the glory awaiting us!
As we’ll read in these next scriptures, lions are represented in heaven quite a bit.
So, let’s dive into these Bible verses about lions in heaven and catch our own glimpse of the glory of God in them!
The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
Revelation 4:7
The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
Daniel 7:4 ESV
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Revelation 5:5 NIV
Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.
Revelation 9:8 NIV
The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
Revelation 9:17
The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
Revelation 13:2 NIV
Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.
Ezekiel 1:10 NLT
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Ezekiel 10:14 ESV
Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations.
1 Kings 7:29 NLT
Samson Kills a Lion Bible Verse
The story of Samson and the lion is a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit and His strength within us.
But there’s a lesson in this scripture about lions for us too. God used this lion and a silly riddle about it to bring about His plan.
Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.
After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
Judges 14:8-9 NKJV
So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down:
“What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them:
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have solved my riddle!”
Judges 14:18 New King James Version
In this devotional, we’ll answer the question… Will You Stand Firm in the Faith?
The Man of God and the Old Prophet Bible Verses
Obeying the word of the Lord is the theme of these Biblical stories. And the lion is the price for disobeying the Lord’s command.
We can learn a lot from the cautionary tales of these men of God. Each one is a reminder to follow the Lord and obey Him in our lives today.
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
1 Kings 13:24 NIV
People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived.
Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.”
1 Kings 13:26 NKJV
So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.
Wicked People Compared to Lions
The Bible compares the wicked to lions laying in wait for their prey to pass by. Each of these Bible Verses about Lions is a warning to be on guard against those who would seek to destroy us and turn us away from God’s plan.
like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
Psalm 10:9
They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
Psalm 17:12 NIV
Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
Psalm 58:6 NKJV
A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”
Proverbs 22:13 NKJV
A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
Proverbs 26:13 NIV
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles as it goes,
and no one can rescue.
Micah 5:8 NIV
And at the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them that were killing some of them. So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have taken into exile and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the God of the land; so He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they do not know the custom of the God of the land.”
Moses said this about the tribe of Dan:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
leaping out from Bashan.”
About Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
Deuteronomy 33:20 NIV
A nation has invaded my land,
a mighty army without number;
it has the teeth of a lion,
the fangs of a lioness.
Joel 1:6 NIV
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens and the mountain haunts of leopards.
Song of Songs 4:8 NIV
Be as Bold as a Lion
In this final Bible Verse about lions, we learn the most important lesson about them… Stand firm in the faith and be as bold as a lion!
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,
but the godly are as bold as lions.
I pray these Powerful Bible Verses about Lions have helped you see your faith in Jesus in a new light and that you will be inspired by them in your daily life!
Bible Verse Art from Master’s Hand Collection
More Bible Studies from Master’s Hand Collection
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