Colossians 2:6 tells believers that the way they began their life with Christ is the same way they should keep living it. Paul says that because they received Jesus as Lord, they should now walk in him, meaning live out their daily lives in close dependence on him. The verse was written by the apostle Paul, traditionally held to be its author, to the church in Colossae, a city in what is now western Turkey, and it is written to Gentile believers who were being pressured by false teaching.
As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him…
Colossians 2:6 (WEB)
What Colossians 2:6 Means
The verse begins with “as therefore you received,” which points back to the moment of conversion. Paul is not describing a new requirement. He is reminding the Colossians of something they already did when they first trusted Christ. The word “received” carries the sense of taking hold of something handed to you, and the object is Christ Jesus, whom Paul names with his two titles, Christ and Lord.
The phrase “walk in him” uses the common biblical picture of walking to describe a whole way of life, the steps taken across ordinary days. Paul’s point is that the believer’s daily conduct, choices and habits should flow from remaining united with Christ, just as the first step of faith came through him. The verse does not promise that obedience will be easy or that every struggle will disappear. It does teach that the Christian life is sustained by staying connected to the same Lord who was first received.
The Context of Colossians 2:6
Colossians was written by Paul, probably during an imprisonment, to a congregation he had not personally founded but whose faith he had heard about from Epaphras. The letter is largely a defense of the supremacy of Christ over all things, and its central claim is that in Christ “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden. Colossians 2:6 forms a bridge between that theological high point and Paul’s warning in the verses that follow.
Just before the verse, Paul warns that no one should deceive the believers with persuasive speech, and just after it, he cautions them against being taken captive by empty philosophy and human traditions. Read in that setting, Colossians 2:6 is a call to stay anchored in Christ rather than chasing whatever new teaching sounds impressive. The surrounding verses show that walking in Christ is the safeguard against being carried off by deceptive ideas.
Key Phrases in Colossians 2:6
John 15:4
Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.
(WEB)
Jesus tells his disciples to remain in him as branches remain in the vine. This image of abiding parallels Paul’s call to walk in Christ, showing that the believer’s fruitfulness depends on staying united with the one who gives life.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
(WEB)
Paul describes a life lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him. This passage shows the inner reality behind walking in Christ, where daily living flows from a relationship with the Lord who saved the believer.
A Short Prayer From Colossians 2:6
Lord Jesus, you are the one I first received when I trusted you, and I ask you to help me keep walking in you each day. Where I am tempted to drift toward worry, pride or the approval of others, bring me back to the truth that you are enough. Shape my decisions, my words and my habits so that they grow from my life with you. Keep me rooted in your love and faithful to the path you have set before me. Amen.
