THE KING’S TRIUMPH IN THE TOMB

“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, TRIUMPHING over them in it” – Colossians 2:15

The Sacrifice and Death on the Cross was followed by the KING’S TRIUMPH IN THE TOMB: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, TRIUMPHING over them in it” (Col.2:15). Paul revealed how and when the Triumph manifested: “Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended” – what does it mean but that He also first DESCENDED into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)” (Eph.4: 8-10).

Jesus crossed the threshold of the cross and descended into the dungeons of darkness to disarm principalities and powers. The word “disarmed” means either to strip off clothes or strip off weapons. Just as Christ was stripped of His clothing at the cross, so the evil spiritual forces were stripped of their authority. Jesus shared in our humanity so that “through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb.2:14b). If they had known what was coming, the devil and his cohorts would have pleaded to be spared the disgrace of defeat: “which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1Cor.2:8). What an amazing irony! Satan focused all his power on getting Jesus to the cross; yet it was by the cross that Jesus disarmed all the forces of darkness.

The cross spelt the doom of Satan and the Victory of Christ! Jesus not only disarmed Satan’s forces; He triumphed over them, like a Roman General leading a victory parade. The conqueror returns home with the routed captives behind him in chains – a public display of his victory and public humiliation of his enemies. That is what Jesus accomplished through the cross: a public spectacle of Satan. The tables were turned. Jesus was publicly mocked and humiliated on the cross, but it turns out it was really Satan and his forces who were shamed. Right before Jesus went to the cross, He said: “Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” (Jh.12:31). Then He went to the cross and knocked out Satan and all his forces!

In Judges 1: 4-6, God delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into Israel’s hands. They captured the enemy-king, cut off his big toes and thumbs, and paraded him as a conquered foe. Without a big toe, he would never be able to stand and fight again; without thumbs, he would never be able to hold a sword in battle; and as a defeated king, publicly shamed, stripped of power and dignity, overthrown, humiliated, conquered and crushed, he would never be able to assemble an army. In the same way, Jesus forever defeated death, from the inside out. The grave could not hold Him. He died to pay for our sins and the proof of success is that He rose from the dead. In doing so, He disarmed the powers of darkness and destruction.

Three barriers keep a soul from God: the sinful nature, the law and Satan. Our sinful nature made us desire and choose sin over righteousness. The law revealed sin and brought condemnation. Satan, the tempter and accuser, tempts us to sin and then accuses us before God when we give in to temptation to sin. We were under the power of all three, and in need of deliverance. Praise God, there is a greater power than the power of Sin, the law or Satan. It is the Power of the Cross!

The cross was a complete victory! We were freed from sin by receiving new life in Christ (vv.11-13a, 2Cor.5:17); from the law by the forgiveness of our sins (vv.13b-14); and from Satan, by Christ’s defeat of all the forces of darkness (v.15). The cross not only brought us freedom from sin and the law. It also brought us Deliverance from Satan and Total Triumph in Life!