Holding Fast to Christ

Holding Fast to Christ in a World of Counterfeits Colossians 2:16–23

Introduction

Paul’s letter to the Colossians isn’t small talk. It’s not filler. It’s a lifeline thrown to a church in danger of being pulled under by smooth-talking voices. These voices weren’t denying Christ outright—they were redefining Him. They were whispering, “Yes, Jesus is good… but He’s not enough. If you really want to be spiritual, if you really want to be secure, you need Christ plus something else.”

That danger hasn’t gone away. On Thursday, I found myself face to face with it—in my own driveway.

I was outside working when two Jehovah’s Witnesses drove up. They were polite, well-dressed, and friendly. We greeted each other, and I went and grabbed my copy of their New World Translation. We started in John 1, and I walked them through the truth of who Christ is. It wasn’t long before the conversation got loud—not heated, but firm. I wasn’t going to let them talk over me or control the conversation.

I called out some of the things they teach—things I’m not sure even they knew about. I told them plainly, “This is not the Christ of Scripture.” And my last words to them were the most important: a call to repent and believe in the true Christ.

That’s what this text is about. Colossians 2:16–23 is Paul grabbing the church by the shoulders and saying, “Don’t let anyone rob you. Don’t let them sit in the Judge’s seat over your salvation. Christ is the fullness—you already have Him. You don’t need the shadow when you have the substance.”

Exposition

Verse 16 – “Therefore, no one is to judge you…” That “therefore” hangs on everything Paul just said in the previous verses. Remember last week’s text: you were dead in your sins, but God made you alive together with Christ. Every debt against you—every legal charge—was nailed to His cross. He didn’t just forgive you, He stripped the spiritual powers of their weapons, disarming rulers and authorities, and paraded them in open shame. That’s the God we serve—the God who brings life from death, who cancels sin’s claim, and who reigns as the undisputed Victor over every enemy. Therefore—no one has the right to sit in the judge’s seat over your salvation.

These “judgments” came in the form of dietary laws (“food or drink”) and religious calendars (“festival, new moon, Sabbath day”). These were shadows—good shadows that once pointed forward to Christ. But now that Christ has come, the reality has arrived. In our own day, similar judgments can take the form of organizational rules and membership demands—like the Jehovah’s Witness requirements to refuse certain holidays and birthdays, reject military service, use only their approved Bible, and report hours of door-to-door work. Why cling to the shadow, or to man-made systems that mimic it, when you have the substance in Christ?

That’s exactly what I saw Thursday. These JW visitors insisted that their New World Translation was the only accurate Scripture, and pressed its use as essential for knowing God rightly. They focused on terminology for God and the way their organization interprets Christ, framing these as necessary to please Him. I’ve seen the same dynamic even within Baptist circles—where faithfulness is measured not by the gospel, but by whether you conform to certain long-held traditions, such as a particular Bible translation, a strict order of service, or unwritten rules about attire and music style. In both cases, the focus shifts from Christ to compliance with a system. But when you’ve got the fullness of Christ, you’re not judged by those shadows anymore—you’re held by the reality.

Verse 17 – “Things which are a mere shadow… the substance belongs to Christ.” Imagine you’re in a dark room and the door opens—light floods in, and you see the shadow of your loved one on the floor. Your heart leaps because you know they’re near. What do you do? You don’t kneel down to trace the outline or measure the shape of the shadow—you run past it, into their arms. The shadow has value only because it points you to the person casting it. Once they’re present, the shadow has served its purpose. In the same way, all the ceremonial laws, festivals, and regulations were outlines of a greater reality. Now that the reality—Christ Himself—has stepped into the room, it would be foolish to stay on the floor studying the silhouette instead of embracing the Savior.

The Old Covenant shadows—dietary laws, festivals, Sabbaths—were good, God-given markers of His promises, but they were never the destination. They were like road signs pointing toward a greater reality, temporary tutors guiding God’s people until the arrival of Christ. They gave a glimpse of rest, holiness, and fellowship, but could not provide them in full. The feast day could point to the true Feast, the Sabbath could hint at the true Rest, and the sacrifices could foreshadow the true Lamb. In every case, they were meant to direct the eyes of faith forward until the day the Messiah stood in their midst. They pointed to Him. And because they pointed forward, the coming of Christ means there is no turning back. This was Paul’s burden in Galatians—to plead with believers not to return to the "weak and worthless elemental things" (Gal. 4:9) after having known God. To go back is to abandon the freedom won at the cross. Paul’s argument then and now is the same: stand firm, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Verse 18 – “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize…” The Greek paints the picture of an umpire disqualifying you from a race you’re winning. These false teachers were acting like referees, blowing the whistle and saying, “You’re out,” when Christ Himself has already declared you in.

They promoted self-abasement and the worship of angels—mystical visions, spiritual experiences—that supposedly made them “elite.” In our modern setting, it might be the lure of private revelations, elaborate religious systems, or a fixation on supernatural experiences as the mark of maturity. It can sound humble—"I’m just seeking deeper things"—but in reality it’s pride wrapped in piety. Paul says they’re inflated without cause by their fleshly mind, puffed up with themselves while claiming to be filled with God. They look spiritual, but they’ve let go of the only lifeline that matters—Christ Himself—and once you release that, no amount of mystical talk or angel stories can keep you from drowning.

Verse 19 – “Not holding fast to the head…” Paul pictures Christ as the Head—the living, ruling source of life and order for the whole Body. If the Body is under the Head’s authority, every ligament and joint is supplied, knit together, and grows with a growth from God. Everything flows from His direction and care. The moment the Body stops clinging to the Head, it stops receiving what it needs to live.

That’s covenant law in action—life flows only under lawful Headship, where the Body stays joined to Christ in submission and trust. Like a branch cut off from the vine, step out from under that covering and the life-source is gone; what remains withers, no matter how much outward activity remains. Scripture is clear: in both Old and New Covenants, authority severed from God’s appointed Head is empty and dangerous. Step out from under Christ, and you lose everything—because spiritual authority apart from Him is not merely weak, it is illegitimate, powerless to give life or guard the soul.

Verse 20 – “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world…” Paul’s saying, “Why are you still playing by the world’s rules?” The “elementary principles” are the ABCs of human religion—“Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch.” On the surface they look like harmless moral guardrails, but Paul’s language hints at something darker: these systems are not spiritually neutral. In Galatians 4 he connects the same phrase to a kind of spiritual bondage, suggesting that behind the man-made rules lurks demonic influence, holding people captive through fear and false worship. Rules carved out by men to control men can become chains forged by unseen powers to keep hearts from the freedom Christ purchased.

Verses 21–22 – “In accordance with the commandments and teachings of men…” The irony? These man-made systems look holy, but they rot from the inside. Charismatics can slip into chasing prophetic words or manifestations as if Christ’s finished work needed extra confirmation. Jehovah’s Witnesses bind consciences to their translation and organizational dictates. Mormons pile on additional books and temple rituals as requirements for salvation. And Baptists—yes, even us—can subtly replace gospel obedience with the litmus tests of our own subculture: the way you dress for Sunday service, whether you attend every program on the calendar, if you sing only certain hymns, or keep to a narrow set of traditions. We can preach grace while practicing suspicion toward anyone who doesn’t fit our mold, quietly shifting the standard from Christ to culture. They are destined to perish—because every one of them, however pious it appears, is disconnected from the living Christ.

Verse 23 – “Self-made religion… severe treatment of the body… but no value against fleshly indulgence.” This is the kicker. Paul says, “You can whip your back, starve your stomach, and pile rule upon rule, but you can’t crucify your own flesh.” The flesh is not tamed by self-denial alone; in fact, it can feed on pride even in deprivation. A monk in a cell can be as consumed with lust or envy as a man in a marketplace. We can punish the body and still nurture the sins of the heart. True crucifixion of the flesh happens only when we are united with Christ in His death—when the old man is put to death by the power of the cross and the Spirit applies that victory daily. You can put chains on your wrists, but only Christ can break the chains on your soul.

Only Christ can do that. And He already has—at the cross. There, the power of sin was broken and the dominion of the flesh decisively defeated. We don’t fight for victory; we fight from the victory He has already won. The answer is not “do more,” “add more,” “keep more.” The answer is to live every day clinging to Him in faith, drawing on His strength, walking by His Spirit, and holding fast to Christ as if your very life depends on it—because it does.

Application

Don’t trade the substance for shadows. If Christ has fulfilled the Law, don’t chain yourself to old covenant forms—or to modern systems—that pretend to be the way to God. This isn’t a call to throw off holiness or obedience—Scripture is clear that we are to walk in purity and good works—but it is a call to make sure those things flow from life in Christ, not as a way to earn His favor. We reject man-made hoops and empty religious performance, yet we embrace the Spirit-led pursuit of holiness that springs from gratitude and love for the One who saved us.

Guard against spiritual counterfeiters. If it shifts your trust from Christ to a method, movement, or man—it’s counterfeit. This can be as blatant as a cult demanding allegiance to its leaders, or as subtle as a church culture that makes your worth hinge on keeping every tradition and program. The JWs in my driveway didn’t say “trust Christ,” they said “join us,” as if salvation came through membership in their system. Others may point you to an experience, a ritual, or a personality as the key. Whatever form it takes, if it moves the anchor from Christ to anything else, it is a counterfeit.

Stay under lawful Headship. Life, growth, and protection flow from holding fast to Christ alone. In verse 15 Paul has just declared that Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities, triumphing over them in the cross. That victory over the darkness is only enjoyed when we remain under His rule. To step out from that covering is to wander into enemy territory—where the same defeated powers prowl, seeking whom they may devour. Under His Headship, the Body is nourished, directed, and defended; outside of it, we are cut off from supply, left vulnerable to deception, and exposed to the schemes of the devil. The call here is not simply to stay in a safe place, but to stay in the place of power and victory, where Christ’s reign is actively exercised over every part of our lives.

Reject self-made religion. External rules can’t change the heart. Only the gospel can. That includes extra-biblical demands for salvation or maturity that Christ Himself never commanded. Paul isn’t attacking the ordinances Christ gave—baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not self-made; they are God-given means of grace. But when men elevate their own regulations to that level—turning style of dress, frequency of meetings, musical preferences, or cultural customs into non-negotiable marks of true faith—they are building altars God never asked for. Even in the name of holiness, we can drift into legalism that binds consciences where Scripture leaves them free. True holiness flows from a heart transformed by the gospel, not from fear of breaking man’s rules.

Closing Gospel Call

Some of you are exhausted from chasing shadows. You’ve run yourself dry trying to be enough, trying to measure up, trying to silence the voice that says you’re not spiritual enough. You’ve bounced from one rule to another, one spiritual trend to the next, hoping the next thing would finally make you feel secure before God. Hear this: Christ is enough. His cross canceled the record of debt that stood against you, including every man-made requirement you could never fully keep. His resurrection secured your life, giving you a righteousness that doesn’t shift with the winds of human opinion or performance.

You don’t need another mediator. You don’t need another law. You need Him. Lay down the counterfeit. Hold fast to the Head. And let me put a bookmark here by returning to that Thursday driveway moment: if I had not known what they were peddling, I might have been drawn in by their confidence, politeness, and talk of truth. But their path to salvation was lined with man-made requirements—submission to their governing body, acceptance of their New World Translation as the only true Scripture, loyalty to their organizational interpretations of Christ, refusal to salute the flag, mandatory rejection of blood transfusions, and strict adherence to their door-to-door ministry quotas. All of these are presented as necessary proofs of faithfulness to God, yet none of them can save. Only Christ saves, and He will not share His glory with another.