I Can Do All Things Through Christ, Philippians 4:13 Wall Art

On the summit

Jesus stands side-on to us on a mound of pale rock and low shrubs, weight on one foot, gazing toward the right. His cream robe is girded under a sage-green mantle, and a long rust-colored cloth hangs from his shoulders, its frayed ends lifting slightly as if caught by wind. He grips a tall staff made of two rough branches, lashed so that the top forms a cross.

Below and behind him, a river loops through a green valley past cypresses and a small town. Hazy hills rise in the distance under a pale sun. The lettering takes three lines: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” and then Philippians 4:13.

What does Philippians 4:13 really mean?

Paul wrote Philippians from confinement, most likely under guard in Rome, to a church in northern Greece that had sent him money and a helper. Near the end of the letter he thanks them, and adds that he is not speaking out of need: “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” He goes on: “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound.”

So verse 13 is first of all about contentment. “All things” means living with plenty and living with nothing, being fed and being hungry, being free and being chained. The secret Paul claims is not a stronger will but a source outside himself, the Christ who keeps giving him strength. The Greek verb is in the present tense, an ongoing supply rather than a single boost.

That context does not shrink the verse, it deepens it. People who quote it before a game, an exam or a surgery are right that it promises strength; Paul simply insists that the strength is for enduring whatever comes, including losing.

A gift for him

Athletes and coaches have long claimed Philippians 4:13 as their own, so the print suits a locker room, a gym at home or a teenager's bedroom. It is also given to fathers, to men in recovery, and to anyone facing a long treatment or a hard new job.

As a baptism or confirmation present for a boy, it offers a verse he can grow into. The earthy greens and rusts sit well with wood, leather and dark frames in a study or a man's office.