Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Colossians 1:29

"whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." — Colossians 1:29 (ASV)

Paul gave himself unstintingly to accomplishing this end. “Struggling” (GK 76) is a term from the athletic arena, signifying intense exertion. This struggle is “according to his [God’s] working.” In other words, the struggle is carried on, not through Paul’s own natural powers, but by the supernatural power at work in him. The entire statement shows that through faith in Christ we can link our life with a source of strength that enables us to rise above our natural limitations.