Philippians 2:13
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse grounds Paul's command in the previous verse to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," assuring believers that God is the one empowering their obedience.
What Does Philippians 2:13 Mean?
Paul assures believers that as they pursue obedience, God Himself is at work within them, enabling both their desire and their action. This verse follows the command to "work out your own salvation," and it supplies the encouragement that makes that command possible: the effort is real, but it is not unaided. God works "in you" -- the very inward source of willing and doing is touched by His power. Believers are not left to summon obedience from their own resources alone.
Paul names two stages: "to will" and "to do." God works on the level of desire, stirring the heart to want what is good, and on the level of action, energizing the carrying out of that desire. The phrase "of his good pleasure" reveals that this work flows from God's gracious purpose and delight, not from grudging obligation. The verse holds together human responsibility and divine enabling without pitting them against each other -- believers genuinely will and act, yet God is the One working in and through them. For the reader, this offers immense encouragement: the call to grow in obedience is matched by God's active presence supplying both the wanting and the doing, so that pursuing Him is itself evidence of His grace at work.
In the Original Language
The verb "energeō" (worketh) means to be active and effective, the root of the English "energy"; "eudokia" (good pleasure) denotes God's gracious will and delight.
Cross References
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
- Philippians 2:12
“Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
- Hebrews 13:21
“And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
- Ezekiel 36:27
Application
When you strive to obey God, take heart that He is at work within you, supplying both the desire and the power to do His will.