See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Colossians 2:8

Just yesterday I heard of the death of a man who once deceived countless thousands of people as a traveling evangelist/healer. Near the end of his “career” he invited a camera crew to record how he fooled Christians who fell for his lies. I know other people who have left the true faith found in Christ and settled for something much less. I’m thinking of a friend who abandoned the Christian life and embraced one of the modern day cults.

In the passage above, Paul has just reminded the Colossians that their faith was rooted in Christ and Christ alone, yet there were outside forces tugging at their hearts.

These philosophies have several characteristics. Once you dig into the story behind the story you find these pathways of enlightenment to be nothing more than what Paul calls “empty deceit.” They are hollow and meaningless.

Second, they are built on human tradition, not God’s revelation. This is more than a Jim Jones or David Koresh kind of a cult where people follow blindly. There are well known religious orders that follow a man’s tradition and compromise the teachings and work of Christ along the way.

Third, Paul references the source “according to the elemental spirits of the world.” Paul recognized here and in other places that the spiritual realm is very real.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

I suppose the application here for us is to ask how carefully we resist the philosophies of our age that are “not according to Christ.”