Philippians 3:18 warns that many people live in a way that stands against the cross of Christ, and Paul is grieved as he speaks about them. He is describing people whose lives reject the humble, self-giving path that the gospel calls believers to follow. The verse was written by the apostle Paul, who was writing from prison, to the church at Philippi, a congregation he loved and had helped start.
For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ…
Philippians 3:18 (WEB)
What Philippians 3:18 Means
The phrase “walk” is a common biblical picture for how a person conducts their whole life, the daily choices and habits that show what they really trust and want. Paul says “many” walk this way, which tells you he is not talking about a rare or hidden group but about a pattern he has seen repeatedly. He had warned them about these people “often,” and now he speaks “even weeping,” which shows that this is a painful matter for him and not a matter of simple criticism.
Paul calls them “enemies of the cross of Christ.” The cross is the center of his message, the place where Jesus gave up his life for sinners and was raised in victory. To be an enemy of the cross is to live as though its message does not matter, or to treat it as a means of personal comfort rather than a call to die to self. The verse does not promise a particular fate for any named individual, and it does not give you a license to label others. It identifies a direction of life that Paul saw clearly and grieved over.
The Context of Philippians 3:18
Philippians is a letter of warmth, joy and partnership, written by Paul to a church that had supported him in the gospel. In the surrounding verses he urges the believers to follow his example and the example of those who live in step with the gospel (verse 17). Verse 18 then gives the contrast: there are others whose lives go the opposite way. Right after the verse, Paul describes these people as having a destination of destruction, living for their own appetites, and taking pride in what should shame them, all while focusing only on earthly things (verse 19).
Because of this surrounding passage, the verse is best read as a sober warning that sits alongside a bright hope. Paul moves directly from the grief of verse 18 to the reminder in verse 20 that “our citizenship is in heaven” and that we wait for the Savior. The warning is meant to strengthen the church’s focus, not to make them anxious about strangers.
Key Phrases in Philippians 3:18
Galatians 6:14
But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(WEB)
Paul writes here that he will boast only in the cross of Christ, through which the world has been crucified to him. This shows the same centrality of the cross that makes opposing it so serious, and it helps you see what Paul values most.
Philippians 2:8
And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
(WEB)
This verse describes Christ humbling himself to the point of death on a cross, the pattern that believers are called to imitate. It shows the self-giving way of the cross that those described in Philippians 3:18 turn away from.
A Short Prayer From Philippians 3:18
Lord, you know how easily my heart drifts toward comfort, recognition and the things I can see. Show me where my daily choices work against the cross of Christ, and give me the honesty to name them. Shape my desires so that I want what you want, and help me walk in step with the humble way of Jesus. Keep me from pride toward others, and let me love those around me as you have loved me. Thank you for the cross that saves and reshapes us. Amen.
