What Came Before “I Can Do Everything”?

“I do everything through him who strengthens me.”

Are there any more hopeful or encouraging words than these?

These words assure us that Christ is with us and that He knows our lives and our struggles. These words reflect what He Himself told His followers: “I will be with you always even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

How did Paul get to that place in His life and, more importantly, how can we get to that point?

Paul did not quote these words on the road to Damascus; he said “I can do everything through him who strengthens me” on the road to execution.

How can we get to that place of trust and dependence?

First, we must die to self and live to Christ. This is what Paul did when he met Christ. He acknowledged Jesus as Lord. He believed God had raised Him from the dead and confessed Him as the master of his life (Romans 10:9).

The old man died and the new man came alive. We must do the same.

This is the first step in being able to say with assurance: “I can do everything through him.”

Second, we must clothe ourselves with Christ. Paul called the Colossian Christians to “put on the new self” who is being renewed in the image of Christ (Colossians 3:10). This new self would include “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” It would issue in forebearance and forgiveness. It would be fully characterized by love (Colossians 3:12-14).

For these qualities to be evident in our lives, we must grow into the fullness of Christ.

Third, we must trust Christ with all of life. Faith is essential.

We must yield our lives to Him. By doing so, we will be brought to a place where we can say in the face of persecution and death: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

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