Complete Victory, Colossians 2:15

When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (2:15)

‘When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities’ –

• Definition: ‘disarmed’ (‘spoil’ - KJV) – The Greek word, apekduomai { ap-ek-doo’-om-ahee } means to wholly put off something from one’s self, denoting a separation from what is put off; to wholly strip for one’s self for one’s own advantage.
• In the definition above, please notice that it says, “... to wholly strip for one's self ...”, not “...to strip off of one's self ...” It might sound like splitting hairs, but this is not about Christ stripping something off of Himself, as if He had something that had to be removed and that is what spoiled the plans or schemings of the rulers and authorities. Quite the contrary; it is Christ that has done the stripping or disarming. The KJV word, 'spoil' should be viewed as booty; the spoils of war to better understand its true meaning.
• Several commentators note that the word has a sense of stripping off of clothes, and as a military term alludes to the treatment of one's enemies when conquered. Not only are an enemy’s weapons stripped away, but so is all of the armor they wear, and many times even their clothing. The point is to strip them of their identity and everything that might represent an element of any kind of power they may have once held. There is the intention of treating them with contempt, reproach and humiliation, to remove any level of pride they may have once had in the cause for which they were fighting.
• Jesus' victory has completely and utterly conquered His enemy by His death on the Cross. The victory was total and complete, so that everything is now in subjection to Him.
• Definition: ‘rulers’ (‘principalities’ - KJV; ‘powers’ - NIV) – The Greek word, arche { ar-khay’ } means 1) means the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader; 2) that by which anything begins to be, the origin, the active cause, and 3) the first place, principality, rule, magistracy (of angels and demons).
• Definition: ‘authorities’ (‘powers’ - KJV) – The Greek word, exousia { ex-oo-see’-ah } means 1) physical and mental power, the ability or strength with which one is endued [endow or provide with a quality or ability], which he either possesses or exercises; 2) the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege); 3) the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed).
• Most commentators see these two words, 'rulers and authorities' (or 'principalities and powers') to be a direct reference to Satan and his angels because it makes the most sense in this verse as well as the broader context of what Scripture tells us about what Jesus' death on the Cross accomplished. One can argue that by the word definitions for all three versions (NAS, NIV, KJV) capture the meaning of the words, it appears that the KJV and the NIV seem to capture who is being referenced.
• Satan and his legion of fallen angels have invaded the earth and assumed control of it as de facto rulers and authorities, where they have attempted to hold mankind in subjection to themselves (2 Cor 4:3-6; Eph 2:1-2). But as Scripture says, 'the earth is the Lord's, and all that is in it.' (John 12:27-32; 1 Cor 10:26; Deut 10:14) Paul uses military type words to communicate that it is Jesus that has fought for and seized control of not only the world but mankind as well, winning them back from Satan, and in the process winning them as the spoils of war. But it wasn't really a fight. There is no comparison to the abilities of Christ Jesus and those of Satan. Satan is a mosquito attacking an elephant – he doesn't even have the ability to pierce the skin. The fight and the war, if you will, was over before it even got started. The God who created the universe and the angels in heaven (Col 1:16) was fighting an angel, a created being. There is just no comparison to be made here. And how did He win this battle? By laying down His life on the Cross, to die for us, baring our sins in the process, and taking away the very accusations against us that held us in bondage to our sin. (Eph 1:19-22)
• And that is part of the point that Paul is making in this passage. Satan has already been disarmed, stripped of all the emblems of power and instruments of war! (Lu 11:22) He has absolutely no power or control to exercise so he cannot exercise a power over us that he does not possess.
• Albert Barnes wrote, “There can be no doubt, I think, that the apostle refers to the ranks of fallen, evil spirits which had usurped a dominion over the world (John 12:31; Eph. 2:2). The Saviour, by his death, wrested the dominion from them, and seized upon what they had captured as a conqueror seizes upon his prey. Satan and his legions had invaded the earth and drawn its inhabitants into captivity, and subjected them to their evil reign. Christ, by his death, subdues the invaders and recaptures those whom they had subdued.” [1]
• Max Anders said the following, “Jesus also disarmed the powers and authorities. He broke their power and stripped them of their controlling influence over humans. Jesus celebrated his victory by making a public spectacle of the conquered powers. The picture comes from a common Roman military practice. When a general won a victory, a triumphal procession made its way through the streets, with the successful general leading the way. His army followed, singing songs of conquest and reveling in their victory. Bringing up the rear would be the defeated king and his warriors, subjected to public ridicule and paraded for all to see.” [2]

‘He made a public display of them’ –

• Definition: ‘public’ (‘openly’ - KJV) – The Greek word, parrhesia { par-rhay-see’-ah } means freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, telling the whole truth, openly, frankly, without concealment; the behavior by which one becomes conspicuous (easily seen) or secures publicity.
• Definition: ‘he made a … display of them’ (‘he made a shew of them’ - KJV) – The Greek word, deigmatizō { digh-mat-id'-zo } means to make an example of, to show as an example, to expose one to disgrace. Putting it all together, the phrase means, “to cause someone to suffer public disgrace or shame.” [3]
• This is a reference to how the Romans would, as victorious conquerors, parade the conquered kings and princes of a land in an open and public display through the streets of Rome for all to see. The intent was as much of a boastful display of the might and power of the conquerors who had accomplished the feat, as it was a reinforcing humiliation to those that had been conquered, being stripped of their power and their symbols of royalty, stripped of their identity. Jesus is here pictured as that conqueror parading Satan and his minions before the entire universe as a defeated and powerless foe. (Rom 16:20; 2 Cor 2:14-16; Luke 10:17-18)

‘having triumphed over them through Him’ –

• Definition: ‘having triumphed over them’ – The Greek word, thriambeuō { three-am-byoo'-o } means “to demonstrate one’s successful conquest of opposition—‘to triumph over, to be completely victorious over.’” [4]
• The focus of this entire verse is on the victory that Jesus has already accomplished, both for believers, and for His own name's sake. It is Jesus that has triumphed over His enemies, which are believers' enemies, as well as mankind's enemies. Believers are the benefactors of this great victory. In several places Paul expresses that he places no boasting in his actions or abilities but only in the victories that Jesus has accomplished. And one can see the great pride in Christ with which Paul takes in explaining the triumph of Christ over Satan and his angels in this passage. Jesus is the winner, the conqueror, and He paraded His defeated enemies before the entire world for every generation to see in His death and resurrection.
• As mentioned above, Paul is using an analogy comparing the victory of Christ as a Roman or Greek victory celebration. The returning victorious general would be allowed to parade into the capital usually preceded or attended by the spoils of war; by the most valuable and precious articles captured as well as a processional of the defeated princes, nobles, generals, or people whom he had defeated, where the victorious general would be drawn in chariot pulled usually by two white horses.
• “through Him” or “by the cross” (“by it” - KJV)? The NASB renders the object of the triumph to be Christ, where the NIV and the KJV would appear to render it as the Cross. Several commentators made note of this difference, stating their preference was for the reference to Christ over the cross, but also stating that the difference was trivial since both essentially meant the same thing. Albert Barnes seemed to favor a wording of “triumphing over them in Himself.” Although they are most certainly correct in their assessment, putting the verse in context with its previous verses would seem to point to the object being that of the Cross. Either way, the point is well made that the triumph was in both the death and resurrection of Christ.
• As an example of the commentator’s reasonings for this debate, John Gill said this,

... which some understand of the cross, as if where and by what he got the victory, there he triumphed; the cross, where his enemies thought to make a show of him, expose him to public scorn and contempt, and to triumph over him, was as it were the triumphant chariot, in which he triumphed over all the powers of hell, when he had conquered them by it ... but the words may be rendered "in himself," as they are by the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions; and the sense be, that as he by himself got the victory, his own arm brought salvation to him, so he alone shared the glory and [honor] of the triumph: or it may be rendered "in him," and the whole in this and the preceding verse be applied to God the Father, who, as in Col 2:12-13; is said to raise Christ from the dead, to quicken sinners dead in sins, and to forgive all their trespasses; so he may be said to blot out the handwriting of ordinances, and to spoil principalities and powers, expose them to public view and shame, and triumph over them, "in him," in and by his Son Jesus Christ … [5]

• And what should this triumph mean to us? In the words of Albert Barnes, [6]

The meaning of all this is, that since Christ has achieved for us such a victory, and has subdued all the foes of man, we should not be led captive, but should regard ourselves as freemen. We should not be made again the slaves of custom, or habit, or ritual observances, or superstitious rites, or anything whatever that has its origin in the kingdom of darkness. We are bound to assert and to use our freedom, and should not allow any hostile power, in the form of philosophy or false teaching of any kind, to plunder or "spoil" us, (Col 2:8). The Christian is a freeman. His great Captain has subdued all his enemies, and we should not allow them again to set up their dark empire over our souls. The argument of the apostle in these verses (Col 2:13-15) is derived from what Christ has done for us. He mentions four things.

1. He has given us spiritual life;
2. He has forgiven all our trespasses;
3. He has blotted out or abolished the "ordinances" that were against us; and
4. He has triumphed over all our foes. From all this he infers (Col 2:16), seq. that we should not be made captive or subdued by any of the rights of superstition, or any of the influences of the kingdom of darkness.

• One of the errors attacking the Colossian church was that of angel worship. In the OT angels were used as an intermediary between God and man and to bring God's revelation to mankind, but in the NT that relationship had changed. In the NT angels are seen clearly as subordinate to the person of Christ. In Mat 4:11, after Jesus' temptation, they come to minister to Him; In Mat 1 and Luke 1 angels come to announce Jesus as God, Savior and Lord of all; in the garden before His arrest, angel came to strengthen Him (See also Mt 28:5; 24:31; 26:53).

When He had disarmed [put off, stripped] the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross. (Col 2:15)

Footnotes

1. Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 266. p/o Logos Bible Software.
2. Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 307–308. p/o Logos Bible Software.
3. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 310.
4. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 500.
5. John Gill’s Expository Notes on Colossians, p/o the Online Bible, Computer Program, © 1987-2005.
6. Albert Barnes’ New Testament Notes on Colossians, p/o the Online Bible, Computer Program, © 1987-2005.

The primary sources for this study use J. Hampton Keathley III, Paul’s Letter to the Colossians: An Exegetical and Devotional Commentary, from bible.org, Copyright ©1996-2020 Bible.org, (Col 1:1 through 2:10), and all attributions are reprinted with permission granted by bible.org; and John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians & Philemon, (Moody Bible Institute: ©1992). I drew heavily upon his chapter and division headings.

This study uses many of the commentaries, dictionaries and the Greek Lexicon which are all part of 'The Online Bible', Computer Program, © 2023, Larry Pierce, http://www.onlinebible.net/, unless otherwise referenced. See Colossians Bible Study for full attribution. All word definitions are from either Strong's and/or part of the Online Bible Program.

Where noted, Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), p/o Logos Bible Software, Faithlife, LLC, © 2023.

All Scriptures quotes are from the New American Standard Bible, 1995 Revision, unless otherwise noted. Verse links from Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/