Let No Man Beguile You: A Warning Against Fleshly Spirituality

Let No Man Beguile You: A Warning Against Fleshly Spirituality

“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head…” — Colossians 2:18

This verse is a warning from Paul to believers who were being influenced by people claiming to be deeply spiritual, but who were actually leading others away from Christ. Paul is not talking about losing salvation—our salvation is secure in Christ. He’s talking about losing reward: the eternal blessings and fruit that come from walking faithfully, growing spiritually, and staying connected to the truth.

Some people were presenting themselves as very humble and holy, even claiming to have special visions or experiences with angels. They looked spiritual, but their hearts were proud. They were puffed up by their own thoughts and feelings, not by the truth of God’s Word. Paul says they were “intruding” into things they hadn’t really seen—pretending to understand spiritual things that God hadn’t revealed to them. And worst of all, they were not “holding the Head”—they were not staying connected to Christ, who is the Head of the Body, the Church.

In simple terms, Paul is saying: don’t let anyone trick you into following a kind of religion that looks deep but is actually empty. Don’t be impressed by people who act humble but are really showing off. Don’t chase after visions, rituals, or spiritual experiences that take your eyes off Christ. These things might feel powerful, but they are fleshly—they come from human pride, not from God.

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Four): Stewarding Truth and Love in Ministry

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Four): Stewarding Truth and Love in Ministry

There’s a quiet danger in mistaking method for maturity. We often lean on formulas to help us communicate spiritual truths, and rightly so—they offer clarity, structure, and consistency. But the formula is not the substance. It’s a scaffold, not a sanctuary. True spiritual discernment comes not by rigid application, but by yielding to the Spirit’s wisdom. We study, we rightly divide, we prepare—but then we walk.

To help us walk wisely, we’ll explore a five-point framework—people, matter, fruit, motive, and method. This is not a checklist for performance, but a compass for understanding. It’s a way to receive knowledge and begin discerning how to minister God’s Word with balance—avoiding the extremes of Berean rigidity and Romans 14 leniency, and instead walking the Spirit-led middle path of truth and love.

PEOPLE — Who Are You Speaking To?

Not every believer is in the same place spiritually, and the Spirit calls us to discern that difference with care. Some are strong in faith, able to receive correction, digest meatier truths, and engage in doctrinal clarity without stumbling. Others are still growing—needing gentleness, patience, and protection from overload. To minister wisely is to recognise this spectrum and respond accordingly. A hard truth spoken to a soft heart can wound more than it heals. Likewise, withholding clarity from a mature believer can hinder growth. The Spirit leads us to match tone and depth to the hearer’s capacity, not out of compromise, but out of love.

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Three): The Spiritual Summary of Romans 14

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Three): The Spiritual Summary of Romans 14

In this series, we’ve been tracing the spectrum of how believers steward scripture. Part 1 began with the Bereans—those noble searchers who examined the Word daily with precision and care. They represent the extreme left: doctrinal accuracy, scriptural testing, and intellectual rigour. Part 2 took us to the opposite end—Romans 14, where Paul speaks of accommodation, leniency, and the grace required in disputable matters. Now, in part 3, we remain in Romans 14, but we shift from the practical to the spiritual. This is the summary of the chapter. This is the heart of the matter.

The body of Christ is not a physical institution—it is a spiritual entity. Our walk is not defined by meat or holy days, nor by outward rituals or religious customs. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. These are the spiritual markers of a believer. These are the things that matter. Our focus must be heavenward. Our minds are to be set on things above, not on the disputable matters below. True service to God is not found in external observance, but in yielding to His Word and walking in the Spirit. That is what pleases Him.

Yet Paul does not leave us in the clouds. He brings us back to the ground—to our horizontal relationship with our brother. The middle portion of this passage reminds us that liberty must be tempered by love. We are to accommodate the weaker brother, not by diluting truth, but by sacrificing our freedoms for his sake. We do not flaunt our convictions. We do not provoke offence. We seek peace. We pursue edification. We lay down our rights so that he might stand. This is not compromise—it is compassion. It is the quiet strength of spiritual maturity.