If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world. – Colossians 2:20
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When people long for change, many are often drawn to solutions that appear serious, demanding, and disciplined. The stricter the method, the more effective it may seem. In the pursuit of Christian spiritual life, this can also happen. Practices that appear wise and holy can quietly become substitutes for genuine dependence on Christ.
This was the danger facing the Colossian believers. In the last two days’ devotion, we have seen how Paul cautioned against the danger of legalism and false mysticism (vv. 16-19). The false teachers were promoting a spirituality built upon regulations and ascetic practices: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (v. 21). These rules likely involved food restrictions, purity laws, and severe self-discipline. On the surface, such practices appeared humble, devoted, and spiritually mature.
Yet Paul exposes the weakness beneath this outward appearance. These regulations dealt only with external and temporary matters — things that “perish with use” (v. 22). More importantly, they were rooted in human commands rather than in the transforming work of God. Though they carried “an appearance of wisdom,” Paul says they were ultimately “of no value” in restraining the desires of the flesh (v. 23).
Paul reminds the Colossian believers of a deeper truth: “Since you died with Christ…” (v. 20). Through Christ’s death and victory over the powers of darkness, they have been set free from spiritual bondage and from human systems that attempt to manufacture holiness through external control. The Christian life is not about living under endless regulations, but about living in the freedom Christ has already secured for us.
This is what gives the passage a surprisingly hopeful tone. Paul’s concern is not merely to warn believers against false religion, but to remind them that they are now free to worship Christ directly. They no longer need to rely on harsh self-denial, outward rituals, or man-made rules to draw near to God. In Christ, they already belong to Him.
This passage also calls us to examine our own hearts carefully. Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, Bible reading, and church attendance are good gifts from God. They are means of grace: practices through which we draw near to Christ and are shaped by His Spirit. Yet even these good practices can slowly and unknowingly become empty routines when they are treated merely as rules to keep or ways to measure spiritual worth. When spiritual habits become ends in themselves rather than means of knowing Christ more deeply, they lose the very purpose for which they were given.
Do not get Paul wrong. Paul’s warning is not against devotion, but against trusting in outward performance that looks religious while neglecting the inward transformation of our inner lives. Real holiness cannot be produced merely through external discipline. Only Christ can change our hearts from within.
Reflection:
• Have I turned spiritual habits into duties to perform rather than opportunities to know Christ more deeply?
• Am I relying more on outward discipline than inward dependence on God’s grace?
• What does it mean for me today to live more fully in the freedom and relationship Christ has given me?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that through Your victory I am no longer enslaved to empty religion or outward performance. Teach me to pursue spiritual disciplines not as a way to earn Your favour, but as a response to Your grace. Help me to worship You freely, love You deeply, and live each day in the freedom and fullness found in You. In Jesus’s name, I pray, Amen.
Click to read passage
When people long for change, many are often drawn to solutions that appear serious, demanding, and disciplined. The stricter the method, the more effective it may seem. In the pursuit of Christian spiritual life, this can also happen. Practices that appear wise and holy can quietly become substitutes for genuine dependence on Christ.
This was the danger facing the Colossian believers. In the last two days’ devotion, we have seen how Paul cautioned against the danger of legalism and false mysticism (vv. 16-19). The false teachers were promoting a spirituality built upon regulations and ascetic practices: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (v. 21). These rules likely involved food restrictions, purity laws, and severe self-discipline. On the surface, such practices appeared humble, devoted, and spiritually mature.
Yet Paul exposes the weakness beneath this outward appearance. These regulations dealt only with external and temporary matters — things that “perish with use” (v. 22). More importantly, they were rooted in human commands rather than in the transforming work of God. Though they carried “an appearance of wisdom,” Paul says they were ultimately “of no value” in restraining the desires of the flesh (v. 23).
Paul reminds the Colossian believers of a deeper truth: “Since you died with Christ…” (v. 20). Through Christ’s death and victory over the powers of darkness, they have been set free from spiritual bondage and from human systems that attempt to manufacture holiness through external control. The Christian life is not about living under endless regulations, but about living in the freedom Christ has already secured for us.
This is what gives the passage a surprisingly hopeful tone. Paul’s concern is not merely to warn believers against false religion, but to remind them that they are now free to worship Christ directly. They no longer need to rely on harsh self-denial, outward rituals, or man-made rules to draw near to God. In Christ, they already belong to Him.
This passage also calls us to examine our own hearts carefully. Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, Bible reading, and church attendance are good gifts from God. They are means of grace: practices through which we draw near to Christ and are shaped by His Spirit. Yet even these good practices can slowly and unknowingly become empty routines when they are treated merely as rules to keep or ways to measure spiritual worth. When spiritual habits become ends in themselves rather than means of knowing Christ more deeply, they lose the very purpose for which they were given.
Do not get Paul wrong. Paul’s warning is not against devotion, but against trusting in outward performance that looks religious while neglecting the inward transformation of our inner lives. Real holiness cannot be produced merely through external discipline. Only Christ can change our hearts from within.
Reflection:
• Have I turned spiritual habits into duties to perform rather than opportunities to know Christ more deeply?
• Am I relying more on outward discipline than inward dependence on God’s grace?
• What does it mean for me today to live more fully in the freedom and relationship Christ has given me?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that through Your victory I am no longer enslaved to empty religion or outward performance. Teach me to pursue spiritual disciplines not as a way to earn Your favour, but as a response to Your grace. Help me to worship You freely, love You deeply, and live each day in the freedom and fullness found in You. In Jesus’s name, I pray, Amen.