There is a verse in Colossians that should make every believer stop and cheer. But almost no one talks about it. I had to read it for myself to believe it.
"Having disarmed the principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
Colossians 2:15Read it again. He disarmed them. He made a public spectacle of them. He triumphed over them.
This is not a verse about a future victory. This is a verse about something that has already happened. The principalities and powers? Already disarmed. The cosmic powers of evil? Already defeated. The enemy you worry about in the night? Already conquered.
What Does It Mean to Disarm
Let me unpack this. The word disarmed in the original Greek is apekduo. It means to strip completely, to divest of armor, to render completely powerless.
When a soldier is disarmed, they cannot fight. They cannot attack. They cannot defend themselves. They are at the complete mercy of whoever stands before them.
That is what happened to the demonic realm at the cross. They were stripped of their weapons. Their authority was taken. Their power was nullified.
Paul is not saying the demons are gone. He is saying they have been stripped of their authority. They are like a soldier who has been disarmed but is still walking around trying to scare people with an empty holster.
The Cosmic Context
Paul is writing to a church that was being tempted by a false teaching that emphasized angels and cosmic powers. Some in Colossae were being told they needed special revelations, special knowledge, special experiences to connect with God.
Paul answer is essentially this: Why are you worried about powers that have already been disarmed? Why are you seeking wisdom from beings that Christ has already defeated?
You have been given everything you need in Christ. You do not need to fear the spiritual realm. You have already been given authority over it.
What This Means For Your Life
Now, let me be careful here. I am not saying the devil is not real. I am not saying there is no spiritual warfare. The Bible is clear that we do battle against forces of evil.
But here is what I am saying. When you fight, you fight from victory, not toward it. The war is already won. You are living in the aftermath of the cross.
When you pray against anxiety, you are not fighting a battle that might go either way. The enemy has already been disarmed. When you stand on Scripture against temptation, you are not hoping for good luck. The enemy has already lost.
The Armor You Already Have
You do not put on armor to defend yourself against a defeated enemy. You walk in the authority that is already yours. The next time you face spiritual opposition, remember: the one opposing you has already been stripped of his power. You carry the victory in you.
Walking in This Reality
Here is the challenge. This truth is not just a fact to believe. It is a reality to walk in. And honestly, it can be hard to walk in when the struggle feels so real.
But that is exactly what the cross does. It makes the invisible visible. It turns the spiritual into the practical. The victory that was won in the spiritual realm becomes yours to walk in in the everyday.
You are not a victim of spiritual attack. You are a carrier of spiritual victory. The same power that disarmed the principalities and powers lives in you.
"The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
1 John 4:4Father, thank you for the victory you won at the cross. Help me to walk in the authority you have given me over the enemy that has already been disarmed. Give me courage to face spiritual opposition knowing the war is already won. In Jesus Name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire