Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:151 Colossians 2:15 by Bob DeWaay Gospel of Grace Fellowship February 22, 2015

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:152 Colossians 2:15a (ESV) He disarmed the rulers and authorities  “Disarmed” literally means “having put off” or “stripped”  The context is the cancelled debt accomplished on the cross (Colossians 2:14)  The “rulers and authorities” are evil spiritual powers  These are real entities, not just ideas or human authorities

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:153 Colossians 2:15b (ESV) and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.  “ Open shame” implies “shown in their true character” and “exposed publically”  This term is used in Matt. 1:19  The triumphal procession was when a conquering general paraded the vanquished foes through Rome  “in Him” could be translated “in it” i.e. the cross

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:154  This is global and not about the presence or activities of individual demons  This is relational and not geographical  See John 14:30; John 16:11  “World” is kosmos; here denoting the world in its sinful rebellion against God 1John 5:19 (NASB) We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:155  “Turn” is a synonym for repentance  Without turning to Christ we are under the dominion of Satan and subject to God’s wrath – 1Thess. 9b, 10  The gospel is the only escape; Heb 2:14, 15 Acts 26:18 (NASB) to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:156  We go from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of God  Rescued, transferred, redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:13, 14) see August 17, 2014 sermon Colossians1:13 (NASB) For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:157 Revelation 12:10b, 11 (NASB) for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.  The blood atonement removes our debt of sin  See Zech 3:1, 2; Jude 1:9  The damning document was used by Satan against us to accuse us before God; Col. 2:14

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:158  “Beings” are demonic spirits  They were tempted to go back to law-works Galatians 4:8, 9 (NRSV) Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again?

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:159 Clinton Arnold: “This concept [Col. 2:15] bears striking similarity to what we have already seen to be present in Gal. 4: Jewish believers were at one time enslaved to the stoicheia by virtue of the fact that life under Torah was life in the old aeon— an age dominated by Satan and his force (Gal. 4:3). But Christ has brought redemption (Gal. 4:5) for those ‘under law... ’” (The Colossian Syncretism, 191)

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:1510 Clinton Arnold: “Therefore, there is no reason for the Galatians to embrace Torah. To do so is tantamount to regressing to life in the old aeon where evil stoicheia hold sway and where believers were formerly held in bondage by evil spirits through their idolatrous practices (Gal. 4:8-10)” (The Colossian Syncretism, 191)

Defeated Hostile Powers: Colossians 2:1511 Luke 10:20 (NASB) “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” It is not where demons are vis-à-vis us, but where we are vis-à-vis Christ