In Philippians 4:13 the Apostle Paul declares that we can do all things because we have the strength of Christ surrounding us. We often tell our friends that "I got your back", but Christ strength has us from top to bottom and side to side. This statement is confirmed in Ephesians 6:10-11 which says,"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. He goes further in his description of the armor in verses 11-17, and the appropriate usage of the armor.
Paul is telling Christians that we can overcome what ever problems and challenges that we face in the journey of life. Our great grandparents were able to overcome the inhumaness and trauma of slavery. Have you every really thought about what it must have been like being a slave, having someone controlling every aspect of your life. You were told when to get up, when to go to bed, who to marry, when and when not to have children. You were forbidden to learn, and any attempt at education could have ended in death. Your family could be torn apart and moved from plantation to plantation.
Our forefathers only had a simple knowledge of the Lord, that resulted in deep faith and trust that He would save them from their circumstances. They did not have EOC, NCAACP, Ubran League, Department of Justice, or hundred of hours of religious TV and radio programs, all they had was a faith in a God that saw them as His children. This God was the only person that had power and saw them a human beings. Over the years we have allowed affluence, education, and other material things to separate us from God. This separation has results in a spiritual powerlessness, the absence of the only authentic power source of the universe.
The scriptures tells us that all things are possible if we allow the strength(spirit) of Christ to lead us! The term "all" denotes every situation, or circumstance that can be imagined in our finite human mind. Paul did not say that I can do some things, he said all things. This means every problem, challenge, or situation can be handled by the strength of Christ. I must warn you that drawing on the strength of Christ may not always render you the most comfortable outcome. For example, you may face with a situation where the Christ like thing to do is to tell the truth, but the outcome of this decision may result in a perceived negative consequence on you. A simple example would be a situation in which you are struggling with finances and one day the clerk at the market gives you $50 too much in change. The $50 would certainly help out your $$$ situation. Some Christians would say, " oh what a blessing, and keep the money. However, the Christ behavior would be to return the money and believe that the Lord will provide.
Paul is telling us that, through Christ, we can get the job we need, get into college, complete high school, overcome past abuse, have a successful marriage, get out of debt, find the right mate, become free of alcohol, drugs, and any other issues you may face. There are no limits on what we can do through Christ which strengthens us!
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