March 2026

“The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world.

Read Colossians 4:16–18; compare Colossians 2:1–3. Thinking about Jesus’ message to Laodicea (see yesterday’s study), what correlations do you find with that of Colossians, which was to be read also in the Laodicean church of Paul’s day?

Read Colossians 4:14, 15 and 2 Timothy 4:10, 11. How is Luke distinguished from Demas, and why?

The apostle John tells us, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Luke’s love for Jesus and His kingdom led him to stand by Paul to the end, come what may, whereas Demas loved this world more than the world to come.

Read the following passages. What counsel is given for those awaiting the Second Advent?

Books have been written about the purpose-driven life and the purpose-driven church. While “purpose-driven” may not be quite right, a clear “purpose focus” is vital for accomplishing any meaningful endeavor. Paul’s life and ministry, as well as that of his coworkers and the other apostles, exemplify this focus (see Phil. 3:13, 14). The results speak for themselves—the gospel spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire and beyond (Col. 1:23). The same focus is needed today.

In a world connected by the internet, social media, and countless devices, it is difficult to imagine the challenge that Paul faced in helping churches feel they were a part of something bigger than their own local congregations.

Read Colossians 4:10, 11. Besides sending news back and forth through emissaries (Col. 4:7–9), what other ways did Paul encourage connectivity? In view of some of the problems Paul has addressed in this epistle, what message might be conveyed through these greetings?

We learn much from Paul about spreading the gospel. His travels covered an estimated 13,400 miles. This is astonishing, since much of it was on foot and some of the time he was also in prison.

Paul spent considerable time in centers of trade, such as Corinth and Ephesus, from which the message could then spread to inland towns. He also returned to churches that he had raised up in order to strengthen and encourage the new believers there. When he couldn’t visit the churches personally, he sent letters. This way, the believers knew that he remembered them and cared about them.

Read for This Week’s Study

Col. 4:7–18; Eph. 6:21; Acts 15:36–40; 2 Tim. 4:10, 11; 2 Pet. 3:10–14; Isa. 60:1–3.

Memory Text:

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV).

This final portion of Colossians reveals Paul’s wider network of coworkers. Acts shows him teaming up first with Barnabas, then with Silas, and then gives an overview of his three missionary journeys.

“Every member of the family should realize that a responsibility rests upon him individually to do his part in adding to the comfort, order, and regularity of the family. One should not work against another. All should unitedly engage in the good work of encouraging one another; they should exercise gentleness, forbearance, and patience; speak in low, calm tones, shunning confusion; and each doing his utmost to lighten the burdens of the mother. . . .

What is the most important truth that we, as Christians, can know? Of course, it is that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that, through faith in Him, we can have eternal life. This is a truth that we could have never figured out on our own. Instead, it was a truth that had to be told, or revealed, to us. And it has been revealed to us—in the Word of God.

Read Colossians 4:2–4. What principles for prayer do you find in these verses? What prayer requests does Paul make?

Some of the most important words we can say to someone who is struggling with issues of various kinds, be they family, health, money, or something else, are “I’m praying for you.” This is heaven’s chosen means of connectivity and interactivity. “It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 525.