POW

Have you ever considered that you could be taken captive, taken as a prisoner of war? Paul warns the Colossians here that it is their job to guard against such attacks by the enemy.  Let’s think about this for a minute. Why would the enemy want to take a believer “captive” through philosophy and deception, instead of just destroying them, or physically killing them? 

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 
Colossians 2:8

The word for deception is the same word used in Matthew 13:22, the parable of the sower, where the deceitfulness of riches makes the seed that started growing among the thorns prove unfruitful. Unfruitful people, living among the church, makes the army cumbersome, ineffective, and slow. The philosophy and empty deception that ensnares them can spread to others in the church. The traditions of men, and elementary principles of the world can work their way through the body like a virus. Most spiritual captives don’t know they are captives. Again, that’s the tough part about the invisible war, you don’t actually notice what’s happening; you don’t notice that the enemy has taken your friend as a prisoner of war until it's too late. They started “drifting” into distractions, started engaging more in worldly philosophies that didn’t seem to contradict Christ. All of a sudden they deny the faith, or stop engaging in their local church, or worse, just go on claiming to be in Christ while living as a captive. 

I have theorized (possibly incorrectly), that the enemy seeks to outright physically kill those who are kicking his butt and he has no chance of distracting or dissuading. Of course he can’t take a life without the approval of our Father, which is an interesting concept in itself, but there seems to be a lot of physical attacks on the righteous and the zealous. Of all the Apostles, only John wasn’t killed. Paul faced death for decades until he finally was killed. Even in our modern era, many men and women suddenly leave this world, from Keith Green and Harry Reeder to David Wilkerson.

But even if my theory is correct, the majority of us weak minded and non zealous sluggards face the constant threat of being taken captive. Beware of letting your guard down, and beware of the chains you can’t see.