And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Colossians 2:13-15, ESV).
When God wins, He wins big time. This is no overtime, squeak-it-out victory. It’s nothing like a soccer game where there’s a shootout victory because one ball dribbles in, but otherwise it was a tie. God doesn’t operate like that. When He wins the battle, it’s definitely over.
When God was pouring out His wrath on Christ as He suffered, we were there in His mind. From each painful step to Calvary, to His last breath on the cross, Jesus was taking on “the rulers and authorities” who were waving “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.“
Satan had an open-and-shut case against us all—we were toast. But Colossians 2:14 declares that when Jesus won the victory on the cross, “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”(NKJV).
When it came to settling our eternal destiny, God wasn’t offering an obligatory “good game.” He was triumphing over the principalities and powers, including the enemy himself—You lost! Just like I told you! That’s the way God wins.
The Israelites who escaped the bondage of slavery were eyewitnesses to an earlier victory. Imagine their joyful shouts while they looked back toward the sea as it closed over the Egyptian army in hot pursuit. Game over! “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously . . . ” (Exodus 15:1).
Then two-thousand years ago came the ultimate triumph: “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay”(Matthew 28:6). It’s never about our victories; it’s always about God’s victory for us.
Romans 8:37 makes this clear: “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” In Christ, we aren’t merely conquerors, we’re super conquerors. Because God doesn’t just win, He crushes the enemy (Romans 16:20). That’s why you don’t want to get in this battle on your own. It’s the reason the transaction at the cross was entirely out of our hands.
Jesus took on your debt, your sin, your condition, and defeated the condemning, eternal hold those things had on you. Because of His death and resurrection, you’ve been freely given a place in the conquering band that will rejoice in His victory forever! Consider your troubles in the light of this truth. Then take some time to express your heart and pour out your adoration. You have reason to celebrate.
Journal
How does the concept of victory fit the way I think about my life in Christ?
Where do I need to experience victory today?
Pray
Heavenly Father, I don’t usually feel much like a “super conqueror.” But the more I focus on what You have done, rather than worrying about what I have done, the more I sense the freedom to feel victorious. Thank You for being the decisive factor in every battle. Remind me to keep trusting You in the battles I face today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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