Read: Colossians 2:6-15
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (v. 15)
In C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the magical world of Narnia is suffering under the evil curse of the White Witch. There are rumors, however, that Aslan the lion is “on the move” to break the curse. The climax of the story comes when Aslan gives himself over to the White Witch, and she puts him to death on the Stone Table. The White Witch thinks she has won, only to realize she’s been tricked! Aslan is raised to life and the death that looked like defeat turns out to be Aslan’s glorious victory.
Something similar happened in Jesus’s death and resurrection. What looked like shame and defeat turned out to be God’s victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness! In the cross, God has not only canceled the debt of our sin; he has triumphed over “the rulers and authorities”—that is, Satan and the demonic forces that rebelled against God (v. 15). Paul uses the image of a military victory parade where the one leading the parade is the crucified Christ, the Lamb who was slain, and the cosmic powers of darkness are dragged behind like spoils of war.
This is such good news! Even when darkness lingers and we’re tempted to despair, we have the assurance that the spiritual battle has already been won. Sin and death have been defeated, the powers of darkness dethroned. We have victory in Jesus!
As you pray, ask God to give you confidence and hope that Christ, even now, reigns victorious.
Brian Keepers has been an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in America for more than 20 years. He is currently serving as the lead pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. Brian is married to Tammy, and they have two daughters and a granddaughter.
