What Does Philippians 4:13 Mean?

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)

The Popular Misinterpretation

In a popular daily devotional, one well-known pastor explains the promise of Philippians 4:13 as follows:

Most people tend to magnify their limitations. They focus on their shortcomings. But scripture makes it plain: all things are possible to those who believe. That’s right! It is possible to see your dreams fulfilled. It is possible to overcome that obstacle. It is possible to climb to new heights. It is possible to embrace your destiny. You may not know how it will all take place. You may not have a plan, but all you have to know is that if God said you can . . . you can!

Well-meaning Christians read these sorts of devotionals and embrace God’s promise to become a professional athlete or climb to new heights in their lucrative careers or fulfill their destiny of becoming rich and famous. So many Christians cling to Philippians 4:13 as if it were a lucky rabbit’s foot, rubbing it incessantly while chanting, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” They turn a divine promise into a self-help motivational slogan in order to defy their limitations, unlock their potential, overcome their obstacles, and embrace their destiny.

But this is a misuse, misunderstanding, and misapplication of one of the most glorious promises in all of Scripture. This distortion inescapably produces a self-centered view of God as a pitiable figure who caters to our every desire. Nothing could be further from the truth. One simply needs to read the text in context.

The Context: Paul’s Imprisonment and Gift

Philippians 4:10–20 describes Paul’s response to a gift that the Philippians sent him during his imprisonment. The reason they sent him a gift is twofold. First, unlike today, ancient prisons did not provide three square meals a day and a TV in one’s jail cell. Paul would have been dependent on friends and family members to provide food and clothing. He was completely vulnerable and in need. Second, Paul and the Philippians enjoyed a united partnership or fellowship in Christ, sharing in gospel advancement (Phil. 1:5), grace (Phil. 1:7), the Spirit (Phil. 2:1), the sufferings of Christ (Phil. 3:10), Paul’s affliction (Phil. 4:14), and giving and receiving (Phil. 4:15). These last two are the most relevant, since they appear in Philippians 4:10–20. The Philippian church shared in Paul’s sufferings by sending a material gift through the hands of Epaphroditus (see Phil. 2:25–30; 4:18).

Usually, when a person receives a gift, the polite response is “thank you.” But Philippians 4:10–20 has been notoriously labeled “The Thankless Thanks.” Nowhere does Paul express his gratitude to the Philippians for their gift. Instead, Paul begins this section by writing, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.” They were “concerned” for him, adds the Apostle. They just “had no opportunity” (Phil. 4:10). Now, the Philippians gave a gift, but Paul looks through it to the true Giver and rejoices “in the Lord”—no doubt referring to the Lord Jesus Christ (see Phil. 2:10, 19; 3:1, 8, 20; 4:1–2, 4–5). He provided the gift through their hands. He was the Giver. They were mediators. And yet, because Paul does not want them to think that his joy is primarily dependent on their material things, as if his joy in the Lord stems from being able to eat again, he writes, “Not that I am speaking of being in need” (Phil. 4:11a). What matters more to this pastor is what their material gift expresses: their spiritual fellowship in Christ.

Christ-Sufficiency vs. Self-Sufficiency

Paul then further distances himself from their material gift by describing his contentment, or literally, “self-sufficiency”:

For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content/self-sufficient [autarkēs]. 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. (Phil. 4:11–12)

Paul learned the secret of being content or self-sufficient in times of plenty and of need.

Self-sufficiency (autarkeia) was considered by ancient Stoic philosophers to be the essence of all the virtues. The ideal wise person was entirely independent. To be dependent on someone else expressed one’s subordination. The wise person must rely on oneself through his inward ability—the power of the will—to resist the force of external circumstances and prevent those circumstances from causing inner anxiety or distress. Put simply, the power to become self-sufficient came from within.

But for Paul, the power to become self-sufficient comes from without. Notice that Philippians 4:13 does not say, “I can do all things . . . period.” That would be very Stoic indeed. Rather, it says, “I can do all things [literally] in him [the Lord Jesus Christ] who strengthens me.” We are not the source of our contentment. We are always dependent on Christ. The branch “can do nothing” apart from the vine (John 15:5). As such, Paul redefines “self-sufficiency” into “Christ-sufficiency.” Through our union with Christ, we receive the ability to do “all things.”

The meaning of “all things,” however, is determined by the economic extremes of “abound,” “plenty,” and “abundance,” as well as “low,” “hunger,” and “need.” Whether in material lack or abundance, believers can experience contentment in Christ and avoid the temptations that attend both doubting the love of God in low times or forgetting the God of love in high times.

But one thing is certain: “all things” cannot mean “anything,” as if Philippians 4:13 is a golden ticket to attain every dream and desire in this life. Instead, this text promises God’s people contentment in Christ, irrespective of our economic level. There is absolutely no room for a health, wealth, and prosperity interpretation of this text. Even so, it does carry application for professional athletes and professional careers. Whether you win or lose, whether you get promoted or not, you can be content in every situation because you have Christ. In Him, we have everything we really need (Eph. 1:3).