Day Nine - Fixing our Minds on Christ

We are filled by Christ who is head over every ruler and authority.

Welcome back!  As we continue our daily devotions through the book of Colossians, remember that this is not intended to be a Bible study but a series of short sweet devotions intended to get you in the Word every morning so that you can shine for Christ all day long.

Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of this world and not based on Christ. For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him who is the head over every ruler and authority.
 Colossians 2:8-10 

We're Tempted to Listen 

I’ll share with you that I struggle a lot with listening to the lies of the enemy.  I struggle with the temptation to allow him to accuse me, to knock me down, to tell me I am worthless and that I have nothing to offer the Kingdom. I struggle with those things immensely. And it is only the in the last several months that I have learned that that is a temptation. I am being tempted to listen to the enemy and I need to resist him so he will flee.

Paul, here in this passage, is encouraging the church of Colossae not to be deceived by empty philosophy, by things that are not of Christ. Though our culture is entirely different than Colossae we still have a common enemy who wants to tear us down and to make us feel that we have nothing to offer the world.

To bring Paul's teaching to Colossae home into my personal life and share it with you, we need to consider that as Christians we can be taken captive. We are vulnerable and susceptible to captivity by the enemy. I am living proof of that and maybe you are too. But Christ is bigger. He is the One who stands for us. He protects us. He fights for us even while we are sleeping and He is always victorious. In Christ, we can always have victory over the enemy. We need to remember that.

There are times when I am so tempted to hear the voice of the enemy, I am so tempted to listen to his lies that I forget how big Christ really is. And that is not of value. Paul is encouraging us to hold fast to Christ Jesus and to know, again, that He is our source of Truth. 

The principalities and the powers, that Paul talks about here definitely include things that happen in the spiritual realm. It is not just man, it is not just somebody with a teaching from the Bible that is not accurate. The battle is happening in the spiritual realm as well and we need to be aware of that. 

Challenge #1

I want to challenge you with a couple of things today.  First, remember to resist the enemy and he will flee. Look at your tendency, if you have one like I do, to listens to his lies as a temptation and ask the Lord for help in that. Repent and return. Tell the Lord, “No, I am not going to listen to the voice of the enemy, I am going to listen to the voice of Truth!”  We can recognize the voice of the enemy because it is always accusing, it is always tearing us down. It is not saying things that Christ would say and that is our first cue to say "This is not you Lord! Help me to walk in Your Truth today!” 

Challenge #2

My second challenge to you is this: memorize Colossians 2:10 and personalize it like this: " I have been filled with Christ who is head over every ruler and authority" The Word says "you" have been filled with Christ, but memorize it personally by saying "I" have been filled with Christ who is head over every ruler and authority. We can use that truth as a weapon and when those lies come upon us, we can push them away by the truth of Scripture. I want us all to do that today. So memorize Colossians 2:10 and also keep in mind that when we resist the enemy, he flees from us. 

Have a blessed day in the Lord, I pray that you will shine for Christ today and meet me right back here tomorrow as we fix our minds on Christ.  

To watch the video devotion, click here. 

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