Let No One Take You Captive (Col 2:8) – Gary Breaux

Our text today is highlighting the fact that we do not want to be trapped by the Devil.

And that’s what the apostle Paul was concerned about with the Christians in Colossae.

If we go to Colossians where our text is found, notice his words and his recommendations to
them in chapter 2 and verses 6 and 7. He says: “Therefore, just as you have accepted
“Christ Jesus the Lord, “go on walking in union with him, “being rooted and built up in him
“and being stabilized in the faith, “just as you were taught, and overflowing with
thanksgiving.” So Paul was encouraging them: ‘Be strong Christians.

‘Have this deep, ‘spiritual taproot, so to speak.

Have your faith solid in Christ Jesus.’ I was in Louisiana last week, and I tried to pull up a
pecan seedling —a little plant of a pecan.

Have you ever tried that? You cannot pull it up with your hands because the taproot goes so
deep; you have to have a shovel.

And so that’s what Paul was saying —be sure that your spiritual strength is solid and that it
goes deep.

Well, why did he say that? If you notice in verse 4, he says: “I am saying this so that no one
may delude you with persuasive arguments.” See, he was concerned that even those with a
strong spiritual foundation may be deceived by persuasive arguments and, as a result,
destabilize their faith, so to speak.

So, what were some of the persuasive arguments? Well, our text for today talks about them
in verse 8. He says: “Look out that no one takes you captive “by means of the philosophy
and empty deception “according to human tradition, “according to the elementary things of
the world and not according to Christ.” So, what were the philosophies and empty
deception? Well, in Paul’s time, it included the Greek philosophies of Plato, and that could
affect the spirituality of individuals in the congregation.

Also, that term “philosophy” was expanded; it referred to more than just the Greek
philosophers; it also had reference to many, many groups, many schools of thought —even
religious thoughts.

And Paul didn’t want them to become —their faith to become destabilized because of
following those improper thoughts.
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 Let No One Take You Captive (Col 2:8) – Gary Breaux

And notice, he said in verse 8, so that you’re not made captive.

He didn’t want them to be captive to such thinking.

But is there something else besides the philosophies? Well, verse 8 says also “elementary
things of the world.” Now what is that? In answering that question, The Watchtower of
August 15, 2008, page 28, referred to 1 John 2:15, 16. So let’s go there.

What’s included in “the elementary things of the world”? First John 2:15, 16, it says: “Do not
love either the world or the things in the world.

“If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; “because everything in the
world “—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes “and the showy display of one’s
means of life— does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world.” So The
Watchtower introduces this as not just religious thinking that could destabilize your faith; it
could be desires of the flesh.

The immoral thinking of the world could affect us spiritually.

Over the years, over the thousands of years, Satan really has carefully crafted the
environment around us as a trap, and so he uses that effectively.

In fact, he maneuvers circumstances around each one of us in order to try to work on our
personal inclinations.

So that’s why the second sentence of our Watchtower summary says this: “We can avert
disaster “if we quickly identify tendencies that could lead us into temptation.” Disaster —
well, what’s that referring to? Well, remember, Paul said in the scripture up there, Colossians
2:8, don’t be captive.

Captive.

That’s what Satan wants to do.

He wants to capture us.

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 Let No One Take You Captive (Col 2:8) – Gary Breaux

We’ve heard of the poster “Wanted Dead or Alive.” He doesn’t want us dead; he wants us
alive.

Because why? Well, it’s an interesting verse in 2 Timothy; it tells us why the Devil would
prefer to have us alive.

Second Timothy 2:26: “And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the
Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him to do his will.” If you’re dead, you
can’t do Satan’s will.

So he wants to trap us alive —or make us captive— alive to do his will.

So, what do we need to do to keep from being trapped by Satan? is the question.

Well, we read that one sentence in our comments to quickly identify tendencies.

OK.

Now, where do the tendencies start? This is an August 1, 1996, Watchtower, page 12,
paragraph 12, and here’s what it says: “Unholy actions are not just spontaneous “or without
prior basis.

“They are the result of defiling thoughts that have been lurking in the heart.” That’s what
happened to Judas Iscariot.

Here was an individual that had a very deep spiritual taproot, so to speak.

And apparently, Jesus didn’t know that Judas would be the one betraying Him when he was
appointed as an apostle.

Sometime in 32 C.E.

, Jesus told his apostles: “One of you is a slanderer.” Apparently, by that time, he had
identified Judas as that one.

Possibly by his actions, a perfect man, Jesus, could identify it early.

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 Let No One Take You Captive (Col 2:8) – Gary Breaux

And the Scriptures say as a result of Judas acting on his thoughts, Satan entered into Judas.

In other words, now he was going to do the will of Satan.

But before that all happened, there had to have been some wrong thinking lurking in the
heart of Judas.

What could it have been? Well, it could have involved malice, maybe greed, pride, hypocrisy,
scheming.

Somewhere in there was something that wasn’t right; it was going to offend Jehovah God.

And he didn’t rip it out; he didn’t take care of it, and look what happened to Judas.

So, what about us? What’s lurking in our heart? Now we all may be individuals with this deep
spiritual taproot.

We’ve been in the truth many years; we’ve been at Bethel many years.

Or we may be young people, and we’re serving Jehovah well right now, but all of us have
these improper thoughts that we have to deal with.

Perhaps it could be something like this: Maybe there is some scheming going on in our heart
and mind, maybe scheming of where we’re going to get the next drink of alcohol.

Maybe it’s an evil thought against someone that’s lurking in our heart.

Maybe it is a plan of action of how we can see pornography or perhaps an unhealthy

attraction to someone of the opposite sex.

If that’s the case, what can we do? Remember Isaiah 30:21. It says to hear Jehovah’s voice
“behind you saying, ‘This is the way.’ ” Don’t give in to Satan’s way, but listen to Jehovah
God.

Jehovah God has given us so many things that can help us to address the wrong thinking
that’s lurking in our hearts.

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 Let No One Take You Captive (Col 2:8) – Gary Breaux

In fact, he gives us guidance in his Word, the Bible.

Just think of all the scriptures that we can use, no matter what tendency we may have, that
can address those tendencies.

He gives us the holy spirit.

Jesus conveys the voice of Jehovah God.

He does so by means of the congregation through the direction of “the faithful and discreet
slave.” So if we are unable to remove an improper tendency, then get help before Satan
captures us to do his will.

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