Can We Do All Things Through Him Who Strengthens Us?

In Paul's letter to the Philippians he wrote

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ESV

What a wonderful statement. Does that mean that all Christians can apply that statement to ourselves and expect to accomplish just about anything we can imagine? Does it mean there are no limits to how much success, wealth, and health we can achieve?

Of course to get God's perspective on any particular verse of Scripture it can help a great deal if we look at it in the context of where it is written. Before we quote any Bible passage we ought to check to see what leads up to it. Here is a bit more of Philippians chapter 4:

Philippians 4:12-13  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  (13)  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  ESV

Paul made it clear that he was not proclaiming health and wealth for himself or other Christians. In serving God he said there were times when he had abounded, yet other times when he's been brought to very humble lows. There were times when his physical and other needs had been met abundantly, and other times when he'd gone hungry and done without.

Paul was fully convinced that God worked all things together for good for those who were called according to God's purpose (Romans 8:28). Therefore if Paul found himself in prison chained to guards 24 hours a day, then he accepted it as an opportunity to share the gospel with those guards. If Paul found himself free to roam and visit new towns, he thanked God for the opportunity to tell others of Jesus and see God raise up new churches.

It seems clear that when Paul wrote that he could do all things through Him who strengthened him, he was saying that with the help of God he could and would serve him during times of pain as well as times of comfort.

Let us always seek to understand every Scripture verse in its proper context. No one has the right to change what God meant when He inspired it to be written down for believers to read and heed.