Complete Victory (Col. 2:15)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/25/2017 10:05 PM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Complete Victory

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Colossians 2:15

            Message of the verses:  “15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”  “15 And then, having drawn the sting of all the powers and authorities ranged against us, he exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in his own triumphant victory! (Philips).”

            Let us begin by looking at Hebrews 2:14 which is a similar verse but goes into more detail of what Christ did on the cross:  “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”  14 Since, then, "the children" have a common physical nature as human beings, he also became a human being, so that by going through death as a man he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Philips).”

            In verse fifteen of Colossians chapter two, our verse for this evening we see the word disarmed, which means that when He disarmed Satan He literally was stripping him, so Satan does not have the power that he once had because of what Christ did on the cross.  During the Romans triumphs over their enemies the Roman general would lead captives in a parade which is a picture of what is in this verse, what Christ did.

            Now once again it is good that we are reminded why Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians as some of them were being tempted to worship these demons, and as Paul writes this verse he is showing them that what would be total folly because of what Christ did to them at the cross.  Not only did Christ’s death on the cross cancel the believer’s debt but He also defeated Satan and his fallen angels, so Paul was able to write the following in Romans 8:37-39 “37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Now because Christ defeated Satan does not mean that we do not have to, by the power of God wrestle against the forces of evil as Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, and then he goes on to talk about putting on the spiritual armor so we can be victorious in Christ. 

            MacArthur concludes “The death of Christ brings transformation, pardon, and victory.  That adds up to complete salvation with complete forgiveness and triumph.  No wonder Paul said, ‘May it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.’ (Gal. 6:14).”

3/25/2017 10:22 PM