Chapter three

In the first verses of chapter 3 Paul tells the saints in the church at Colosse that they have been spiritually lifted up to heaven where they then enjoyed in spirit what they would later enjoy materially in the future in the Kingdom of God. This was not the first time Paul had written about this subject. In Ephesians 2:5-7 he tells God’s true saints (then and now) that, though they were at one time dead in their sins, by obeying the Lord they had been “made ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST” and had been “raised up together and made to sit together in the heavenly place in Him” so that “in the ages to come (following His return) He can show them the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward those (who are) in Christ Jesus.”

Verses five through nine: In this passage Paul admonishes true God-seekers to “put to death” all that is not of the Lord–the life they lived prior to embracing Him. Notice that he tells the parishioners to “put off” all those things. This means not to talk about our sinful, pre-conversion life. By an act of their will they were to humble themselves before God and, using the power of His Holy Spirit, “resist the devil” so that he will “flee from (them) us” (Jam. 4:7). Recall that Jesus had to do exactly that in his post-fast encounter with His ultimate enemy. Jesus the man had to endure temptation from him and, using the only weapon He had–the Word of God–do battle with him and defeat him (Lk. 4:1-13). Jesus could use His Father’s power ONLY because He knew, believed and obeyed His Word which unleashes His Holy Spirit. Quoting God’s Word, Jesus drove the “Sword of the Spirit” into Satan’s heart, rendering him powerless. Remember that it is the Word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). It is the Word of God that unleashes His power to defeat the devil as He said in Zechariah 4:6: “‘Not by (man’s) power, nor by (man’s) might, but by My Spirit'”. Because He was a man Jesus was forced to rely on God for everything. In John 5:30 He confesses this fact without apology: “Of Myself (by My own power) I can do nothing.”

Satan is a powerful and persistent foe. Note that when the great temptation episode was over, it is said that Satan left Jesus “until a more opportune time.” The Lord was never far from the devil’s temptations and tests. Neither are we. We all have weaknesses; Satan knows which buttons to push to tempt us and he pushes them, normally at the most effective time. We must always be on guard in order to recognize his attacks which God calls “fiery darts.” If, through obedience to Him, we are wearing the “whole armor of God,” we can deflect his fiery tests, trials and temptations (Eph. 6:11-16) and defeat him as did the Lord. This was what Jesus was referring to in Revelation 3:21 where He said that only those who did so would sit with Him in His Father’s kingdom. Notice that the devil tempted Jesus at His weakest points–the need for food and future control of the world, which He will assume upon His second advent. True saints must always remember that in and of ourselves we are powerless before Satan, just as was the Messiah. We must also remember that “Greater is He that is in us (the Holy Spirit) than he that is in the world (Satan)” (1 Jn. 4:4). But notice that John was writing to those who are “of God”–obedient to His Word. Here John reminds God’s people that they overcome Satan’s temptations only because they have God’s Holy Spirit abiding within them. God’s Spirit will not share an abode with sin. There is not gray area. In God’s eyes we are either obeying God totally or obeying Satan totally. Otherwise we are “lukewarm” and, like vomit, will be spewn from His mouth, as Jesus told the church at Laodicea. Recall that in Revelation 3:14-20 Jesus tells that church that He was standing outside their door and knocking. HE WOULD NOT GO INSIDE THAT CHURCH BECAUSE HE WILL NOT SHARE SPACE WITH THE DEVIL. L.J.