The United States attempted to not get involved in either world war, but due to the direct attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States had no other choice than to enter onto the battlefield. As hundreds of thousands of soldiers went to both fronts to fight the Axis Powers, there was another battle on the homefront. Here, those who were left behind quickly became cogs in the war machine wheel. The soldiers who were fighting on both fronts were dependent upon the folks back home to not only build ships, planes, and weapons at lightning pace; but they also were dependent upon food and other supplies. The homefront became its own battlefield. There was no longer a peace time mindset, but all who were on the homefront too were part of the war efforts. Had they not lived with a wartime mindset, the wars in the pacific and European front would never have been fought or won. On the homefront, the wartime mindset looked like immense daily sacrifice as the nation lived on ration books, victory gardens, and scrap drives. One of the most popular sayings of the day was, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!” Both the soldiers on the front lines and the citizens on the homefront sacrificed for victory. They both had to hold the line. Soldiers held the line in fox holes, but citizens held the line in everyday life as well.
In the Christian life, are we at peace or war? This is wartime on all fronts. Your head, heart, and home are being attacked. Our community and churches are falling apart. Our frontline is the homefront. There is a war waging and there are unfortunately many casualties. Eph. 6:10-12 says, “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Most Christians are aware of the armor of God passage in Ephesians and the concept of spiritual warfare, but few too many are unable to see it as a reality in their daily life. As we continue our study of Colossians, today we will study Col. 2:4-5 which says, “ 4And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.” Throughout Colossians, Paul has emphasized the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. This is described through the preeminence of His person and work most clearly in the hope of the gospel and hope of glory which is our union with Christ. Paul now is focusing especially on the sufficiency of the person and work of Christ in light of the false teachers that are attacking the hearts and minds of the Colossian believers. A spiritual war was waging against the truth of the gospel, and it still is today. The enemy of the believer and of Christ’s church seeks to make us think that there is more to Christianity than Christ or that there is more to spiritual learning and living than Christ alone. As Paul writes in these verses, he is connecting these previous concerns and truths to then lead into his next argument. Here, in our verses for the day, we see that Paul is grateful to see that they have not been deceived or defeated, but in it there is a great warning and a call to all believers and local churches today to not be deceived and not be defeated. Deceived Chritians will be defeated Christians. It is often slow. The story goes that an old church in the country had a sign above their door that said, “We preach Christ crucified.” What a monumental statement of truth and discipline. That was their identity and it should be ours as well. However, over some time there began a creeping vine to grow that was not dealt with and it soon blocked out the word “crucified.” Then after some more neglect the word “Christ” was then covered by the creeping vines and weeds. Eventually, the sign was overrun, and the church was closed up for good. I believe that we are living in days where if we neglect the truth of the gospel and we pretend that we are in peacetime that vines will be undealt with and we will soon be defeated not merely by outside forces, but by the neglect that there is a war waging that is seeking to defeat us through deception. We preach Christ crucified! We preach Christ supreme and sufficient. We must hold the line.
Don’t be deceived! Col 2:4 says, “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.” Here in this connecting verse, we must go back to go forward. Go and reread Col. 1:9-2:3. Then focus on the great conflict of concern that is summed up in Col. 2:1-3 which says, “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The best defense against the attack of our enemy is the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. The best offense against the enemy that surrounds us is the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. It is the hope of the gospel and hope of glory which is our union with Christ (I am in Christ and He is in me) that is our defense. It is the hope of the gospel and the hope of glory that gives convictional confident courage to hold the line in the heat of the battle. This truth is the only weapon against false teaching and fleshly living. When Christ is supreme and sufficient then nothing else will do. Christ really is supreme which drives my heart to humility and faithful obedience to Him in all of life. Christ really is sufficient which causes me to trust Him in all things. Learning these truths should cause us to love these truths and then live from these truths. Col. 1:3-11 deals with this very issue of learning, loving, and living in light of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. These three issues of life are of preeminent importance for practical daily living. We don’t grow and can’t grow apart from the truth of who Christ is, what He has done, and what is ours in Him through our union in and with Him. True Christian living involves learning and loving. Often there is a great divide without seeing the two joined together. John Gill wrote, “Some Christians are more affectionate, and less knowing; others are more knowing, and less affectionate; it is well when love and knowledge go and keep pace together.” Paul previously expressed that the church of Colosse was a loving church, but he knows that they must grow in their learning as well to combat the deception that is attacking them. Learning should lead to loving, but both should make up the entirety of our Christian living. Paul says that he has written all of these things thus far, “lest any man should beguile you.” The word “beguile” is the word “paralogizomai” which means to reason alongside of. It is in the present tense which shows that our enemy and deceivers themselves are always deceived themselves and seeking to deceive others. The idea of the word is that of false or deceived reasoning. Paul uses the word to show that those who are doing the deceiving are actually deceived themselves. This issue is also addressed in 2 Tim. 3:5-9 which says, “5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” Paul then urges them not to be deceived by the “enticing words” which is the word “pithanologia” which means persuasive or convincing words. The idea is to be talked into something. Those who are not convinced of truth can be easily persuaded into believing a lie. Many of the casualties of our day come from not only being deceived by false teachers, but by false narratives and gossip. All deception is evil and comes from the devil, the father of lies. The supremacy and sufficiency of Christ should be the most persuasive truth in our life! Don’t be deceived. Be persuaded that Christ is supreme and sufficient. Don’t be persuaded by your emotions or the intellect of others. Don’t be persuaded or enticed by shining objects, bells, and whistles. Be enticed by Christ!
Don’t be defeated! Col. 2:5 says, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.” Once more, we are reminded of the believer’s union with and in Christ. Paul is physically absent from this church, yet spiritually he is present with them. We would put it like this today, “I’m with you in spirit,” or “My heart is with you.” Paul had written this way in 1 Cor. 5 when it came to judging sin in the church and then again in 1 Thess. 2:17 as he expressed his desire to be with them. Now, Paul begins to exhort them not to be defeated as he expresses that he is “joying” or delighting and rejoicing continuously in their present state of steadfastness. True joy in God’s work comes from observing the humble faithful consistent obedience of others in the faith. John expressed this as well in 3 John 3-4 saying, “3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” The real trick to practical Christian living isn’t that you merely have the learning about Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency, but that you have applied it in your living. Without applying the truth, we miss the point and purpose of the truth. Truth is for transformation from the inside out. In our verse today, we see that Paul is rejoicing in two key things, but both are militaristic in their usage. Like a ranking officer who is inspecting his soldiers, he finds them in “order” and standing in “stedfastness.” The word “order” is the word “taxis” which means to be unbroken or intact. It was used of soldiers who were in line by rank and in formation. The idea is that they were disciplined to know their place and had the discipline to stay in place. When hard times run, the temptation is to lose formation or to step out of line. Many are doing this in their personal walks with the Lord and their corporate walks in the local church. Now is not the time to get out of order or line, but rather it is time to hold the line and stay in formation. We are stronger as we stand united in order under the banner of Christ. Paul is grateful that they are undaunted, unwavering, and unbroken in their formation. Just as soldiers must be in order to hold the line as the enemy attacks, so must believers and local churches. When something is “out of order” we would say that it is at least temporarily broken and in need of repair. Spiritually, I would say that many need a revival because their spiritual life has an “out of order” sign on it. The next military term that is employed is “stedfastness” which is the word “stereoma” which means to be stable, strong, secure, firm and fixed in position. Stability is key when being attacked. If your Christian life isn’t built on the solid foundation of truth then when the attacks come, and they will, then you will lose your footing. Notice the importance as Paul gives the list of the armor of God in Eph. 6:13-18 saying, “13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Think of it this way: solid food leads to solid faith and solid faith leads to solid footing. If we are to stand in these evil days against the deception of the world without being defeated internally, then we must be steadfast in the strength of Christ that we experience through “faith in Christ.” Christ is the object of faith. We are defeated when we are deceived into thinking that Christ is not supreme and sufficient for all of life.
As we bring this to a close, we are reminded that this is not peace time, but it is war time. The frontline is on the homefront. It is in your head, heart, and home. It is in the pew with you. It is in the parking lot, and it moves wherever you move. Defeat comes through deception. Just as the allies used deception to defeat Germany during the European invasion, so too our enemy seeks to defeat us through the subtle deception that we need more outside of union with Christ and one another. Many are deceived into defeat thinking that they need more excitement, programs, and events for their Christian life to grow. Many are deceived into believing that they need tingles more than truth. Many are deceived into believing that they only need truth, but no affections being moved. What we need today is to hold the line being steadfast in the strength and supply of the Spirit. What we need is to hold the line together without breaking formation or giving up as the enemy advances and we take casualties. We need to see that we already have the victory through the truth of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Rom. 8:37-39 says, “37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We will not be deceived. We will not be defeated. We will hold the line!
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