PART 2 

“I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which strengthens me.”  Philippians 4.13

Christ I can do all things through Christ… That is a wonderful reality.  But what exactly does it mean for you and me to be able to do “all things through Christ”?

In the text surrounding Philippians 4.13, Paul wrote:  “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content; I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME” (Philippians 4.11-13).

The Apostle Paul experienced more trouble and anguish than most of us could even think about.  His mini biography reads as follows:  “Are they Hebrews?  So am I.  Are they Israelites?  So am I.  Are they the seed of Abraham?  So am I.  Are they ministers of Christ? – I speak as a fool – I am more: in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.  From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a day and a night I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils of the city, in perils of the wilderness, in perils of the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches…” (II Corinthians 11.22-28).

Most of us would have quit long before we experienced the first couple of verses of this text.  But not Paul.  And how can that be? He said, “Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally.  I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.  I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little.  I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.  What I have, wherever I am, I can make it through the One who makes me who I am”  (Phil. 4.11-13 MSG).  

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH THE ANOINTED ONE AND HIS ANOINTING WHICH STRENGTHENS ME!  Does this mean that we should just lay down and accept everything – good or bad – that comes along our way?  Certainly not!   It means that you can beat every challenge, stand victorious in every trial through the One who makes you who you are – Christ the Anointed One and His Anointing! 

The wonderful thing about Philippians 4.13 is that it’s not limited to just these few areas we have touched on.  “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME” also applies to resisting sin and living dead to the flesh!

In Romans 7.13-23, Paul relates about the battle and conflict that was raging inside of him – a war between his spirit and his flesh.  In verses 15-21,  he said – “What I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do… I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.”

Paul further explains in verses 22-23, “I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my [flesh], warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my [flesh].”   In the intensity of this battle, Paul cries out – “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  Who will deliver us from the dictates of sin and of our flesh?  Paul exclaims in verse 25 – “I THANK GOD – IT IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!”  

…Through Jesus Christ our Lord…  This is further confirmation of Philippians 4.13 – I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME!  Through Christ, through the Anointed One and His Anointing, we can do all things – including living a holy, pure life; a life free from sin, free from the dominance of the flesh. Glory to God!

The Word tells us in Romans 5 that just as through one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience many were made sinners, so also through one Man’s (Jesus’) obedience many were made righteous.  Through Christ, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.  (vv. 19-20)  Now the question is:  shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How can we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6.1-2). 

Romans 6.3-4 says – “…as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death… Therefore we were buried with Him in baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” 

If we have been united together with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be in the likeness of His resurrection.  Our old man, our old nature, was crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin might be done away with.  Because of this, we are no longer slaves of sin.  One who has died has been freed from sin.  We should therefore count ourselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6.5-11).

Galatians 5.1 urges to “Stand fast in the liberty by which [the Anointing] has made you free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”  How do you stand fast in your liberty in Christ?  By wearing the Anointing at all times.  Sin cannot entangle you, despair cannot entangle you, persecution or trouble cannot entangle your life when you are operating in and wearing the Anointing. 

Notice this verse says don’t become entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  We are told in Isaiah 10.27 – “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the Anointing.” 

The Anointing is the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God.  When the Anointing is in full operation in your life, it will remove every burden and destroy every yoke that tries to take you captive.  Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, put on the ANOINTING.  The Anointing raised Jesus from the dead, and it raised you from the dead also.

You have sheer life ahead of you in Christ.  Will you experience trouble along the way?  Certainly.  But through Christ you will triumph over the trouble.  Jesus said “In the world you will have tribulation – but BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!”  (John 16.33).  

It doesn’t matter what may come and go in this life – Jesus has already defeated satan and won the victory.  As long as we live in Christ, victory is certain.  Paul wrote – “now thanks be to God who ALWAYS CAUSES US TO TRIUMPH IN CHRIST, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place, for we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (II Cor. 2.14-15). 

In Part 3, we will delve deeper into the revelation of victory in Christ and what it means not only for us, but for the future of the world around us. 

For now, I encourage you to take a fresh plunge into Christ – into His Life-giving, Life-changing Anointing.  Let the revelation of Christ in you grow inside you until you, like the Apostle Paul, will be able to not only say, but LIVE the reality – “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME!” 

You have been baptized into the Anointing – so wear the Anointing in everything you do.  Remember, In Christ you stand!

PART  3

“But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I Corinthians 15.57

Thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory THROUGH our Lord JESUS CHRIST!  I Corinthians 15.55 says: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 

What victory?  The victory that Jesus won for us – TOTAL REDEMPTION from the curse.  There is no place for defeat in the life of the Believer.  Victory has already been obtained through the Cross of Christ.  There may be occasional set backs or hindrances in our fight of faith, but never defeat.  The eternal verdict has already been finalized – satan is the loser, and you and I are winners because we are IN CHRIST.  It is settled forever. 

According to II Corinthians 2.14-16, God always causes us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To one we are the aroma of death leading to death, but to the other we are the aroma of Life leading to life. 

We are the very “fragrance of Christ” in the earth.  It is so vital to know and remember that no matter what things we experience here on earth, our God ALWAYS causes us to TRIUMPH in Christ.  And through us He manifests the fragrance of His KNOWLEDGE in every place.  We are a breath of fresh air to those who are coming to God.  At the same time, we are like the stench of death to those who are steeped in darkness.  For these God-haters, we are an unpleasant reminder that the Spirit of the Almighty is still present and still actively at work in the earth. 

In it all and through it all, you and I can be certain that IN CHRIST God will always cause us to triumph.  With God as our loving Father, we do not have to fear or dread anything.  Romans 8 tells us that, in Christ, we did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but we received the Spirit of adoption into God’s family, through whom we can call God “my Father, my dear Father!” 

The Spirit Himself testifies within our spirit that we are children of God.  And if we are His children, then we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.  As joint heirs with Christ, we go through exactly what He goes through.  If we go through the hard times with Him, then we are certainly going to go through the good and glorious times with Him (vv. 15-17 NKJV / MSG)! 

There is no comparison between the present hard times and the coming times of glory which will be revealed in us.  Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ or the victory we have received in Him.  Can trials, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or lack, or peril, or war distance us from His love?  No!  It may look like everyone is against us.  We may be accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  “YET in all these things,” Romans 8.37 tells us, “we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him who loves us.” 

We are IN CHRIST!  And if we are IN CHRIST, then we are overcomers.  If we are IN CHRIST, God always causes us to triumph.  If we are IN CHRIST, then nothing can separate us from His Love. 

Colossians 2.6-7 urges – “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, SO WALK IN HIM, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, ABOUNDING IN IT WITH THANKSGIVING.” 

Walk in Him, walk in Christ.  Be rooted, built up and established IN CHRIST – and ABOUND in Him with thanksgiving.  Verses 9-10 say that in Him, in Christ, “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (in bodily form).  AND YOU ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, who is the head of all principality and power (rule and authority).” 

You are complete IN HIM.  In Jesus resides all the fullness of everything God is.  And if Jesus dwells in you, all the fullness of the Godhead resides in you also – and you are complete in Him! 

Galatians 3.13-14 informs us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a cross”), that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law so that the Blessing of Abraham could come upon us.  Through Christ, we are no longer under the curse, but under the Blessing.  What did we do to deserve this Blessing?  Nothing!  It is all because of Christ. 

Galatians 2.16 clearly states that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by FAITH in Jesus Christ.  We who have believed in Christ Jesus are justified by faith in Him.  The works of the law can never justify you.  It is faith in Christ that makes you right and keeps you right before God.

It is by faith in Christ that we receive and walk in the Blessing.  And this Blessing covers every area of our existence.  It is what restores us to the level of life that God originally intended for us.  In Christ, we have everything we will ever need or desire – health, wealth, peace, restoration, wholeness in every area.  Beyond that, we have His wisdom to be able to tap into His divine life and provision. 

I Corinthians 2.16 tells us that “we have the mind of Christ.”  We have His mind, we have access to His thoughts.  Jesus Christ has been made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (I Corinthians 1.30). 

Christ is our wisdom.  He is the intelligence, the insight, the divine counsel, the pertinent information we are looking for in every situation we encounter.  He IS our Wisdom.  How do you access His thoughts, access His wisdom?  The same way that you access any other part of the Blessing – by faith in Christ. 

Remember that it is through Him, through Christ, that we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5.2).  It is through faith in Christ that we access the limitless depths of the wisdom of God.

“Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”   – Romans 11.33

God’s wisdom and knowledge are so immense, His mercy and ways so vast that, eons from now, we will still be finding them out – yet, at the same time, we have full access to all His wisdom and counsel right now.  

 I Corinthians 2 in the Message translation tells us that “God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of His purposes.  You don’t find it lying around on the surface…. The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what this eternal plan is… But you’ve seen and heard it because God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you” (vv. 7-8, 10).

When you are in Christ, you can know the wisdom and ways of God, because His Spirit brings it all out into the open for you.  Who ever knows what you are thinking and planning except you yourself?  It is the same way with God – except that He not only knows what He is thinking, but He lets you in on it.  You don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions.

When you are in Christ, you are spiritually alive and therefore have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing.  Isaiah’s question – “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what He is doing?”– has been answered:  Christ knows, and we have His mind (vv. 11-12, 15-16)!

Since we have been raised with Christ, since we have His mind, His faith, His Life – we should seek and pursue the things over which Christ presides, fixing our mind on things above, not things of the earth.  Sure there are responsibilities and things to attend to here on earth, yet we must not become so absorbed with the things right in front of us.  We must be alert to what is going on around Christ – see things from His perspective. 

He is your life.  And when you abide in Christ, when you live in Him, when you access His thoughts, you will fulfill everything – both natural responsibilities as well as spiritual responsibilities – to a much higher degree.

Galatians 6.2 instructs:  “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  This is really the crux of our life in Christ.  One translation says that this is what completes Christ’s law (which is the law of Love).  John 3.16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that we could have a whole and lasting life.

When this love is sown in our heart, when we receive God’s gift of eternal life in Christ – that same love is created to grow and increase, not just to the point that our own life is full and fulfilled, but to overflow and produce the life of Christ in the lives of those around us.  This is what completes the law of Christ.  Love began it all.  It is in Christ’s love that we live.  And it is His love demonstrated, poured out through us that completes it. 

When we take up and support each other’s load, the more we become like Christ who took our load.  We are His Body – therefore we must do as He does:  complete the Love. 

This is when we will fully experience the victory in Christ that God has given to us.  Because it is Love that perpetuates the purposes of God.

When you live in Love, you live in Christ.  And In Christ you stand!