I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me

(Philippians 4:10-13)

The power of the Lord Jesus is to help His people grow. When we are walking in His power we can be confident as Paul when he said, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

There are times when we need this strength more than others. At the present time, this is more evident than at other times. The Coronavirus that is sweeping the world is a time for strength among Christians. Christians need to learn to be strong so that they do not succumb to fear and panic

So it is important to understand how we too can stand strong. It is essential we find the place where we too can say, I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me

Is there any limitation on what a person can do in Christ? When Paul said, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me,” was he limiting the power of God?

No, he was not limiting God’s power.

There is nothing that God cannot do and will not do to support and strengthen His people.

Stop a moment and think of all the miracles Jesus and the early apostle did while on earth.

Jesus walked on water, calmed the winds and waves, fed the five thousand with just a few loaves and fishes, raised the dead, healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, caused the lame to walk, and so much more.

Jesus also said that those who had faith in Him would perform even greater works than He did. So is there any limit to the power of God?

No. There is no limit, which is why Paul was so confident as to say, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

But when we look at the verses around these words of Paul, we see he is not talking about wondrous miracles. Paul was not concerned about those things at all. The strengthening Paul was talking about was about how to live your life in the Lord.

How to live a life of strength in the Lord

This is not something that will happen overnight. It takes time to grow strong in Christ. We need to learn His ways and how to use and be led in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must learn to walk in the Spirit if we are to be able to say: I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me, as Paul did.

But let’s first look at these scriptures to see what Paul was talking about.

10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. 13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13)

You see here that this strength and the working of the power of God is not about miracles. He is speaking about his day to day life. It is in the day to day, sometimes in the mundane aspects of life that strength is needed most.

Paul shows that he was content in whatever state he found himself. And that is the key to this strength: contentment.

Paul found the place of contentment in Jesus Christ. Paul could put up with anything and any situation because he was content with his lot in life.

He knew and even expected he would be abused and persecuted as a Christian. He understood he would suffer for Christ. And he had suffered greatly, through being jailed, beaten with rods, whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, and more. And all for the sake of Christ.

Was he despondent? Did he seek revenge? Was he angry? Did he get depressed? Was he complaining?

No. In all of these things, he said, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” And he said this because he was content.

Look at his words in the verse above. He knew how to behave whether he was abased or abounding. Whether he was up or down, being treated with kindness or hatred, Paul passed through situations with stability. He could do this because he was content.

Paul said himself that he had found the secret of being able to live in all situations. He wasn’t worried about what tomorrow might bring. He didn’t fear to be in hunger or in want, or to have an abundance or to have nothing. These things meant nothing to Paul because he understood the secret of facing all situations.

So what is that secret? You can find it in Paul’s words, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

The secret of doing all things in Christ

The secret is quite simple. Paul relied on Christ for all things.

Paul did not stand in his own strength but in the strength of the Lord. He trusted totally and completely in the power of the Lord to provide and to control every situation he found himself in.

Paul had received the Holy Spirit and he had learned how to walk in the Spirit. He knew how to focus his thoughts on whatever is good, gracious, lovely, and so on, in order to be at peace. Paul had control over his thoughts and emotions through walking in the Spirit.

The combination of walking in the Spirit and trusting completely in the Lord is the secret.

It is by the combination of these two things that we become strong. We learn over time that the Lord never fails nor forsakes us as we trust in Him. It doesn’t matter if we go through difficult or trying circumstances, because the Lord will pull us through.

In relation to such things, the words, “It came to pass,” figure strongly in my mind.

It doesn’t matter what may come your way, it will pass. If you are having good times, praise the Lord and give Him thanks because it will pass. When you are suffering difficult times, praise the Lord and thank Him because again, it will pass. If your confidence and trust is in the Lord, then good times or bad times make no difference. They will all pass.

And that is why the secret Paul found to deal with every situation was by walking in the Spirit and trusting in the Lord.

Walking in the Spirit deals with the internal problems of the mind that can overwhelm us. Trusting in the Lord deals with the external problems of the world that come against us to test us. This is the secret. Knowing these two things and applying them in our lives will carry us through so that like Paul, we can say, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

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