Paul warns the Colossians against being taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit — but his positive antidote is not more doctrine. It is deeper life in Christ: the same Christ they received at the beginning is the one in whom they are to walk, be rooted, be built up, be established.

From the writers we read together

Dallas Willard

Philosopher and Spiritual Formation Teacher

Willard's central concern was exactly what Paul describes in Colossians 2:6–7: the integration of life in Christ into the entire fabric of daily existence. Not just moments of prayer or Sunday worship, but the walking — the movement through the day in Christ's company, rooted in Him, being built up in Him. The false philosophies Paul warned against are still with us, still offering alternative frameworks for life. The answer is the same: walk in the Christ you received.

The passage ends with 'abounding in thanksgiving' — and Willard would note that thanksgiving is itself a discipline, a practice that reshapes perception. The person who abounds in thanksgiving is one who notices what they have received rather than cataloguing what they lack. Rooted, built up, established, abounding — all of these are present-tense, ongoing postures. Which one is most absent from your daily walk right now?