"4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 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 2:4-8
Paul explains (v 8b), by referring to its source and origin, why this false philosophy is empty and deceptive. He exposes it for the human and devilish thing it really is (v 8b): This is surely true of false teaching of whatever sort when it comes to infect the Church of God and to kidnap believers. Whether those who advocate it realise it or not, false teaching is ultimately the vain machinations of men motivated and directed, behind the scenes, by Satan himself. He is after all the father of lies. These false teachers, it seems, claimed to preach an authentic Gospel tradition. They claimed to speak the word of God and to reveal His will but they were preaching another Gospel which was no Gospel at all. It all sounds so contemporary! Paul, however, rejects any suggestion of divine origin to their message. This is a mere Oman fabrication and it is antagonistic to the authentic apostolic tradition centred on Jesus Christ as Lord. More than that, the real truth of the matter is that their message, even if they are unaware of it, rather than being according to Christ, is according to 'the basic principles of this world' (DIV), 'the elemental spirits of the universe' (RSV). There has been much debate about exactly what it is Paul is referring to when he speaks of these 'elemental spirits of the universe' but it would seem that he has in mind the principalities and powers of the dark demonic world of spirits, the spiritual powers and authorities of this dark world, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms who oppose God. Paul is alerting the Colossians, and every Christian, to the fact, and it is very sobering, that such false teaching ultimately emanates from the devil and his demonic host, as he tries to recapture those who have been liberated from his dread tyranny. This is the truth of any heresy and this is the importance of being rooted and grounded in Christ. This is the importance of being built up and established in the apostolic faith as we were taught. The enemy of souls is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and he comes very often as an angel of light to deceive, if he can, the very elect of God.