Our pastor is teaching a series through the book of Colossians and the verses he spoke on this past Sunday highlighted in my heart the insidiousness of errant teachings and beliefs.  I can’t explain why, when I read the phrase, “see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit…” (Colossians 2:8), it doesn’t have quite the same effect as “spiritual abduction”, yet both communicate the same problem—bondage to lies.

In light of some of the highly public “departures from the faith” lately, I’ve been thinking about twisted teachings and deceptive spirits, and Jesus’ admonition that “false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24); and the apostle Paul’s words to Timothy, “the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…”  (1 Timothy 4:1, 2).  Peter also warns, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:1, 2).

Whoever in the world would choose to be deceived?  Who in their right mind chooses captivity over freedom?  That is the crazy part about deception—people who are living it do not recognize the control it has over them!  Satan and his cohorts do not come to our front door in a business suit (or in a red suit with a pointy tail and horns), ring the bell, and offer us a portfolio of demonic doctrines, faulty teachings, or misguided perceptions for us to choose from; rather, he sneaks around, using subtlety to trap us—that is the nature of deception.

I think one of the enemy’s sneakiest deceptions (I don’t know if there is an official list of sneakiness somewhere, this is just my opinion) is the perception that we are better than we actually are, particularly when it comes to comparing ourselves to others (which we are not supposed to do, but somehow there seems to be a little comparison button in our minds that demons like to push).  Paul wrote this to the Corinthian church, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves.  But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (1 Corinthians 10:12).  And to the church at Rome, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Romans 12:3).

I do think it interesting that we are more inclined to compare ourselves with “less than” people (in our opinion) rather than those we consider “greater than”—either way, comparison is not God ordained.

Here is one of the most insidious ones that I have struggled with most of my life, society resoundingly supports, and religion hops on board to lend hearty “amen”!  Personal appearance in regards to weight.  I have heard it taught that being overweight is gluttony and gluttony is sin – implying that overweight people are sinful, and really overweight people are really sinful!  However, this reasoning does not provide a view into a person’s heart or take into account what God may be doing in one’s life.  And it doesn’t take into account Jesus’ teaching that “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). …or Paul’s instruction, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?  These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20-23).

Another area of judgment we so readily fall into is regarding the employed, under-employed, or unemployed—it is so easy to come up looking pretty good when we have a reliable income!

The deception of self-righteousness sets up a scale (or law) where we come out looking either good or looking bad—and if we look bad then we choose to compare ourselves to those who will make us look good.  It is easy to forget that I am a wretched sinner, even in the strong areas of my life.  “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out….Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:18, 24-25).

The danger of “personal strengths” is that it we can develop a certain smugness about ourselves where Christ-sufficiency becomes self-sufficiency—causing our strengths to become our weaknesses.  And our weak spots are really our strengths because we rely on God’s strength; or as Paul so accurately states, “But he [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).

It should come as no surprise that spiritual captivity and deception lie where we least expect them.  However, our best defense is the Truth, found in Jesus (John 14:6), and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

If we recognize the authority of Christ, and by faith have received Jesus’ generous gift of salvation, subtle deceptions will not take that away; however, it will affect our freedom in Christ, how we relate to others, and the message we communicate through our life story to the world around us.