In The Margins

Colossians 2:4–15

4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.

6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. 9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.

The Venus flytrap is a strange little plant. It looks shiny and inviting to insects, but once they land, the trap snaps shut. What seemed desirable was actually deadly.

Paul warns the church in Colossae about something similar—false teaching. My Bible even labels this section “The Colossian Heresy.” A heresy is simply a belief that looks spiritual but is completely opposed to God’s truth. It may sound impressive, but in reality, it’s a trap.

In verse 8, Paul describes four traits of false teaching:

• It’s deceptive—empty ideas dressed up in smart-sounding words.
• It’s based on human tradition, claiming secret wisdom or “ancient truth.”
• It’s spiritual but dangerous, influenced by powers that oppose Christ.
• And it’s enslaving—it doesn’t free people; it locks them up.

At its core, the false teachers were saying: “Jesus plus something else equals fullness.” That’s the flytrap. The world still sells us the same lie today—“You’ll be complete if you have success, popularity, relationships, or the right image.” It looks shiny, but it can’t deliver.

Paul pushes back hard. He says in verses 9–10: “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.” In other words, everything you need is already found in Jesus.

I love the picture one writer gave: imagine standing by the Pacific Ocean with a tiny jar. The moment you dip it in, it’s completely full of ocean water. But you could never put the whole ocean into the jar—it’s endless. That’s what Christ is like. He holds the fullness of God, and when we come to Him, He fills us completely. And the more we open our hearts to Him, the more of His fullness we can receive.

Here’s the bottom line: don’t get caught by flytraps. The world will keep telling you, “Jesus isn’t enough—you need this too.” But Paul reminds us: in Christ, you are already full. You don’t need to chase every shiny promise the world offers. You only need Him.

Reflective Questions:

-What “flytraps” in your life look shiny and desirable but actually pull you away from Christ?

-So where are you tempted to believe “Jesus + something else” will make you complete?

-How would your life look different if you trusted that Christ really is enough?

Further reading and study: John 1:1-18