Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me is one of the most famous verse in the entire Bible, from athletes to church leaders, everyone loves to quote this verse. And very surely, if you are here it is most likely because you have heard, read, seen, and even written it more than once.
Although Philippians 4:13 is a very popular verse, few people really know the meaning and how it applies to life, so join us in reading to discover the true meaning.
I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me means that God makes his children go through situations of abundance and scarcity that lead them to mature spiritually to be able to face any future situation with the help and strength of the Lord.
Philippians 4:13 Explanation and Context
To understand the meaning of Philippians 4:13, we must first see the context of the passage, that is, the subject it is talking about. the apostle is talking about in order to understand what the Bible is communicating to us.
In Philippians 4:10-12 the apostle Paul is concluding his letter to the Philippian church and therefore expresses his final thoughts.
In short, Paul tells the church that he has learned to be content whatever his situation, and that he is taught in all things in life, as well as those having abundance and those suffering need.
Hungry or well fed, free or in prison, with much or little, Paul had understood that his happiness did not depend on his current situation, but that his life was based on a person, on Christ Jesus.
Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from Rome while he was in jail. He was in a very difficult situation and from that dark and dirty cell he wrote: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ( Philippians 4:13 ).
That is the context in which Paul wrote Philippians 4:13, however, many believers today are limited to reading this one verse without seeing the context of the situation, therefore, many do not understand the true meaning and purpose of the words. Paul’s words.
Paul is not saying that we can get what we want in a material way, but that, in our own weakness and fragility, the power of God acts in our favor, he is saying that God can help us in any situation in which we find ourselves.
What does it mean I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” is commonly interpreted in the sense that a person can fulfill any proposed desire or dream and is especially used in the so-called “prosperity doctrine”.
In this way, this famous verse is often reduced to a simple personal motivation to overcome something difficult and achieve everything we want.
However, as we saw in the context, Paul did not write these words from a place of economic or social success, on the contrary, he wrote those words from prison. If we look at it from a material point of view, Paul had nothing, he was a loser, a failure for society, but the reality is that Paul was complete in Christ and did not need anything else.
Philippians 4:13 is written to encourage the weak and those in difficult circumstances and means that despite any life situation, the saving power of Christ strengthens us to overcome.
What does I can do all things in Christ mean?
As Barnes says in his commentary on Philippians 4:13, Paul from his various experiences in life came to the general conclusion that he could “do all things.”
He could endure any trial, perform any duty, subdue any evil inclination of his nature, and meet all the temptations inherent in any condition of prosperity or adversity.
For this reason, Barnes adds in his study on this verse, that his own experience in the various changes in life had justified him in reaching this conclusion; and now he expresses the firm confidence that there is nothing that he could not do.
Therefore, we can say that I can do all things in Christ means that the believer’s life is a walk where trials and difficulties are necessary to mature our faith and thus place our trust in Christ.
What does it mean that it strengthens me?
Barnes in his commentary states that Paul had abundant experience of the strength that Christ can impart, and now he fully trusted it.
Therefore, Paul did not have any supernatural abilities different from other believers; but his strength was drawn from the Redeemer. It is because of that strength in the redeemer that Paul was able to endure cold, fatigue, and hunger; thanks to him, he faced temptations and persecutions; and thanks to him, he insisted on fulfilling his arduous duties.
This means that the strength of the believer must be Christ, that is, in the different trials and difficulties, we must hold on to Christ and not in our own strength and keep our eyes on Jesus and his miraculous strength.
✅ Important: This powerful passage should encourage us when the enemy wants to destroy us. Not because we are enough, or because in our strength we can achieve something, but because we have God living in us, and in him, we can overcome all things.
Final thought on I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
From the study of Philippians 4:13 we can draw several reflections, among them we can say that we should not misinterpret the meaning of “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” believing that it is a passage referring to fulfilling all our sentimental or material desires and dreams…
Today many athletes use these words as motivation to win a game. Students use them when preparing for an exam. Job seekers use it as proof that they will get it. And the sick cling to it as a promise of healing.
We are not trying to say that God cannot do those things. He can. But this verse is not a promise that he will do exactly what we want.
This passage wants to show us that as children of God we must be fully prepared for any situation. Not only for wealth and abundance, but for times of hunger and difficulty, and that when we are there, we can say “I can do all things through Christ, because he is my strength.”
As Barnes concluded in his commentary on the verse: what a privilege it is to be a Christian! Feeling, in the trials of life, that we have a friend, immutable and very powerful, who can always help us.
