“I can do all things through Christ”

The verse

Philippians 4:13 (BSB):

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The Greek: panta ischyō en tō endunamounti me — “all things I am-strong-for in the one strengthening me.”

The two key Greek verbs

Ischyō

Ischyō (ἰσχύω) is the verb usually translated “I can.” BDAG s.v. ischyō glosses it: “to be strong, powerful, able.” The verb names practical capability — strength to do, power to accomplish, capacity to bear.

The verb is used elsewhere in the New Testament for being physically able (Mark 9:18 — disciples not “able” to drive out a spirit), for being strong enough for a task (Matthew 8:28 — no one was “strong enough” to subdue the demoniac), and for general capability.

The word is not a permission slip (“I am allowed to do anything”) but a description of capacity (“I have the strength for whatever”).

Endunamoō

Endunamoō (ἐνδυναμόω) — “to make strong, to empower” — is the source verb. It is built from en (in) + dynamoō (to make powerful) — and dynamoō derives from dynamis (power), the root of English “dynamite,” “dynamic,” and “dynamo.”

Paul does not say Christ gives him strength. He says Christ is the one strengthening (endunamounti) — present participle, ongoing action. The empowerment is not a one-time gift but a continuing dynamic activity.

The crucial context

Philippians 4:11-13 (BSB):

I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation — to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The “all things” of v.13 is specified by v.11-12. The “things” Paul has just listed:

• Living humbly (with little)
• Abounding (with plenty)
• Being filled and being hungry
• Having plenty and having need

Paul is not saying he can accomplish whatever he wants through Christ. He is saying he can endure both poverty and abundance with contentment, because of the continuing strengthening he receives. The “all things” refers specifically to the range of circumstances, not to unlimited achievement.

What the verse does not say

The verse does not say:

• Believers can accomplish unlimited goals through Christ
• Wealth, victory, success are guaranteed to those who pray
• Any specific outcome can be claimed by faith

It says: in any circumstance — abundance or poverty, fullness or hunger — I have the strength, because the One strengthening me operates in either.

This is a fundamentally different claim than the popular use of the verse for personal achievement, athletic victory, or financial success. The verse is about endurance through circumstance, not about transcending circumstance.

What gets lost

The popular use of Philippians 4:13 — particularly its appearance on athletic gear, motivational posters, and tattoo art — has detached the verse from its surrounding two verses. Paul’s argument is:

• I have learned contentment in any circumstance (v.11)
• I know how to handle both lack and plenty (v.12)
• I have strength for all of these because Christ strengthens me (v.13)

The verse is a verse about contentment, not about achievement. The Greek vocabulary supports this reading; the surrounding context confirms it. The English flattens both.

For the broader entry on this verse, see our individual entry.