Avoiding Worldly Influence While Studying

For many Christian students, stepping into the academic world particularly into disciplines like philosophy feels like walking a theological tightrope. There’s joy in learning, but also concern. “How can I pursue deep thinking in a secular environment without being swept away by the ideologies of the world?”

This question isn’t new. The apostle Paul warned early believers in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” It's a verse that can feel like a red flag for those who love ideas but also love the Lord.

So, how can Christians faithfully engage the world of ideas without losing their grounding in Christ?

What Is Philosophy Really About?

At its root, the word “philosophy” means “love of wisdom.” That in itself doesn’t sound problematic it sounds biblical. In fact, Scripture consistently calls us to wisdom. Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9 is that believers be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom.” In Colossians 2:3, Paul says, “In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

So wisdom isn’t the problem. Loving wisdom isn’t the problem. The issue arises when that wisdom is not according to Christ when it’s based on human tradition, shaped by worldly spirits, or motivated by deceit.

The warning in Colossians 2:8 isn’t about philosophy as a discipline. It’s about a kind of thinking that pulls our minds and hearts away from Christ as the source and goal of all truth.

The Risk of Being Taken Captive

Paul uses a strong word here: “captive.” It’s a picture of someone being carried off as a prisoner. And what takes people captive? He names it: empty deceit, human tradition, elemental spirits. These are belief systems that look wise but are empty of true wisdom because they have severed themselves from the knowledge of God.

And they’re not just in the philosophy classroom. These influences show up in the assumptions behind much of modern education ideas about human nature, truth, morality, sexuality, success, and identity that contradict what God has revealed.

A recent Barna study found that only 17% of Christians who attend secular universities say their faith was strengthened through their college experience, while 53% say it remained the same, and 30% report it weakened. That sobering statistic reminds us that the battle for the Christian mind is very real.

Three Biblical Anchors for Christian Thinking

So how do you study in a secular environment or even in a Christian school with competing worldviews without losing your spiritual footing? Colossians offers three solid answers:

1. Know Jesus as the Source of All Wisdom
   “In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Christ isn’t merely a subject to study or a religious figure to admire. He is the ultimate context for all truth. Every fact, every principle, every argument must be weighed against the reality of who Jesus is. If your learning doesn’t lead you back to Him, it’s not wisdom it’s noise.

2. Treasure Jesus Above All Ideas
   Paul prays for believers to be “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” (Colossians 2:7). It’s not enough to know about Jesus intellectually. The Christian student must treasure Him—delighting in His beauty, resting in His sufficiency, and filtering every idea through the lens of His lordship. This is what guards against ideas that seem wise but subtly erode faith.

3. Live to Show Jesus in Your Life
   “Do your thinking according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Christian thinking isn’t an academic exercise it’s a way of life. It should produce humility, integrity, holiness, and love. If your education makes you smarter but not more Christlike, something has gone wrong.

Can Christians Study Philosophy?

Absolutely but with discernment. The issue isn’t studying Plato, Aristotle, Kant, or Nietzsche. The issue is whether their ideas become lenses that distort Christ or tools that help us clarify and proclaim Him more effectively.

Christian thinkers throughout history like Augustine, Aquinas, Pascal, and Plantinga have engaged deeply with philosophy not to replace Scripture, but to illuminate and apply its truths. The key is submitting every thought to the authority of Christ, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

It’s okay even wise to explore hard questions and study ideas that Scripture doesn’t directly address, as long as we don’t treat those ideas as authoritative in themselves. Our authority is the Word of God. Everything else must be tested against it.

Education as Worship

When pursued rightly, learning can be a form of worship. When we trace the logic of an argument, marvel at the complexity of the human mind, or ponder the meaning of existence, we are engaging with the fingerprints of our Creator.

Paul says in Romans 11:36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.” That includes philosophy. That includes education. Every discipline ultimately exists to magnify the glory of God in Christ.

Wisdom That Overcomes the World

The world’s wisdom especially when it appears spiritual—often leads to pride, confusion, and sin. Paul warns that the “elemental principles” of the world appear wise but offer no power against the flesh (Colossians 2:23). True wisdom doesn’t puff up—it humbles us. It exalts Christ and gives us power over sin.

If you're a student, especially in a secular environment, don’t be intimidated. You have access to the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). You’ve been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority (Colossians 2:10). And in Him, you have what you need to study and think and learn without being taken captive.

Study Hard. Stay Humble. Keep Christ Central.

So press on in your studies. Ask hard questions. Wrestle with ideas. But do so as someone rooted in Christ, devoted to His Word, and committed to using knowledge to serve, not to show off.

Let every paper, every debate, every lecture be another opportunity to think according to Christ and to reflect His wisdom to a world starving for truth.

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