Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
When such phrases as “all things” are used in the Bible, we must be careful to apply them in the context of the Biblical message that they are used in. We certainly cannot expect “Christ” to “strengthen” us in ungodly and immoral behavior, in pursuit of carnal lusts, nor in disobedience to His Commandments. The “all things” in Paul’s message are those “things”, in His Apostolic duties, that God had called Him to do. He is telling us that when he was suffering great deprivations; when he was “hungry” and when he was suffering in “need” (Philippians 4:11-12), “Christ” strengthened him so that he could continue on in the Lord’s service, carrying out his duties. This sentence is written in the present and future tense; that is, the Lord was strengthening him at that present moment, and he was certain that the Lord would continue to strengthen him, no matter how severe his sufferings and trials might become. There are times when we reach the absolute limit of our human strength and ability, and it seems that we simply cannot go another step; but, as we continue to strive forward in our Lord’s service, He strengthens us, holds us up, and propels us forward in His service. He strengthens us both mentally and physically. Elder Danny Ferrell explained it this way, “The word “strengtheneth,” means to put power in. Whether in prosperity or in need, the Lord puts the power within us to face every battle in life; even to the end.” So, like Paul, in our pursuit of faithfulness to our Lord, to His Calling, to His Commandments, and to His Holy Word; we can truthfully declare, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”!