Spiritual Self-Defense

¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

²⁰Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ²¹“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²²These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ²³Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Colossians 2:16-23

Introduction

• There are a number of conflicting ideas in the areas of religion and spirituality.
• When you compare the beliefs of Christianity with those of other religions, you will see that the differences are quite major.
• When Paul wrote the book of Colossians, he was giving first-century Christians a guide to living in a non-Christian culture.
• Paul gives us a course in spiritual self-defense; he shows us how to protect ourselves from thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and attitudes that put us at risk spiritually.
• The “self-defense” being talked about here is against the influences that we encounter in our daily lives. These might not even show themselves to be dangerous at the outset (misleading), but we have to protect ourselves from having our faith shaken even accidentally.

1. Don’t get side-swiped

• Colossians 2:16
• Being side-swiped means having your car hit on the side when you didn’t see it coming.
• There are people out there who will do the very same thing spiritually.
  • Imagine you are just walking along, thinking of something else, minding your own business, when suddenly someone throws something at you that puts you off.
• Some questions that early Christians struggled with:
  • Is it OK to work on a Sabbath day?
  • Is it OK to eat food sacrificed to the idols?
  • Is it OK to eat pork?
• Example (simple) questions that we might face are:
  • Are you using the right/latest devotional?
  • Are you using the correct version of the Bible?
  • Are you singing the right songs, in the correct key?
• Paul didn’t choose sides on this debate. Read Romans 14:5
• If you base your Christian life on the opinions of others, your faith will falter.
  • Don’t let anyone guilt-trip you or argue with you
  • Don’t let anyone judge you on non-essential matters
• Read Romans 14:12

What are example questions that you can think about that can side-swipe you right now?

2. Don’t get side-lined

• Colossians 2:18-19
• Do not let yourself be too caught up in theological issues
  • Don’t get into endless debates and arguments
  • If you fall into this pattern you will become an ineffectual Christian
• We cannot afford to forget that our primary purpose is to serve Christ by serving others.
• In order to do the work he has called you to do, you must stay connected to Christ.
  • Grow as a believer
  • Let Christ remain as the very center of the focus of your life

Have you found yourself caught in any theological debate before? How did you go about it?

3. Don’t get side-tracked

• Colossians 2:20-23
• Paul is warning Christians not to get side-tracked into over-emphasizing the do’s and don’ts, since that is not the emphasis of the Christian life.
  • The emphasis of Christian life is fellowship with Christ
• When we place all of our attention on ourselves and our ability to keep the rules, we lose sight of Christ.
• The Christian life is not a set of rules, it’s a relationship
• Illustration: May tells of a married couple that created a checklist for each other, and were so sidetracked by the rules, that they forgot to work on their relationship and were divorced.

Are there any things about the Christian life as you see it right now that seem too “legalistic” for you?

Conclusion

• Colossians 2:17
• Live the Christian life, as opposed to endlessly criticizing it, or letting others judge it, or letting others’ ideas of it affect yours
• Connect to Christ, and allow him to become the focus of your existence.
  • Don’t let people judge you; Christ is your judge
  • Don’t allow yourself to stop growing as a Christian
  • Don’t get caught too up in the rules

Reflection Questions

1. Since your new life as a believer, have you ever found yourself in any of the situations described above?
2. Can you relate how you rose above it?