What does Psalm 118:6 mean?

Faith in God does not mean a life perfectly free of all fear. However, trusting God makes that anxiety much less powerful. If the Creator of the universe, who came to earth to secure our salvation, has promised us a good outcome, there is no force in existence that can stop it (Romans 8:31–32). A person can say that God is "on my side" when they come to Him in submissive, repentant faith (Proverbs 1:7; 2 Corinthians 7:10; John 3:16).

The claim made here is not that faith in the Lord makes a person physically invincible. David knew that danger was real, yet He expressed confidence in God (Psalm 27:1). Jesus noted that it was the eternal soul, not the body, which deserved primary care (Matthew 10:28). Difficult situations in life will still occur (John 16:33), but God's plans are good (Romans 8:28) and He knows what is needed for us to achieve His will (Matthew 6:31–33).

The book of Hebrews cites this verse (Hebrews 13:6). In that letter, the writer encourages believers to hold fast to faith despite persecution (Hebrews 10:23).