"Let no one be cheating you, wanting in low-mindedness and worship of angels, stepping in [things] which he has seen, without cause being conceited by the mind of his flesh..."
-Have you ever been cheated? Someone took something from you, or kept you from winning something? Someone gained a personal advantage at your expense? If they cheated at some meaningless game, then perhaps you are upset for a brief moment. But in more serious matters, in the game of life, in matters of eternity, there is far more at stake. Cheaters/false teachers can both mislead someone away from trusting in Christ for salvation, and they can also mislead someone away from experiencing the full blessings of following Christ on a daily basis.
-Here the false teachers in Colossae were emphasizing things like the worship of angels - clearly misguided altho no doubt tempting were you to actually come face-to-face with one. But think about it, why waste any time worshipping the messenger? Who is greater, the messenger, or the One Who sent him? And are not angels actually sent out to serve people (Hebrews 1.14)? Why would someone of sound mind want to devote and prostrate himself to any creature in place of the Creator (cf Revelation 22.9)? Angels themselves bow before His throne - there is no more blessed place or posture for us than right there beside them. Only in HIS presence is found fulness of joy, only in HIS right hand are there pleasures forever.
-Those false teachers were also advocating what Paul refers to as low-mindedness, which can actually be a good thing as long as it is not the ultimate thing (cf James 4.10, 1Peter 5.6). There is nothing wrong with engaging in things like fasting and other disciplines of self-denial - these things can be very effective in helping me focus on Christ, but in doing so my ultimate aim must still be to do just that, to focus more closely on Christ. Low-mindedness is not the goal - Christ is. When I stop short at low-mindedness, in the end I make it about me. Because as it turns out, the more low-minded I make 'me', the more high-minded I become, about me. I get way too full of me-myself-and-I, delighted and inflated about how good I am at self-denial, puffed up about how much God must surely be high on me because of how low I am. Silly human.
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