Colossians 2:15

The cross is not just where your indebtedness was nailed. It's also where rulers and authorities were disarmed.

With the explanation, it is clear that the rulers and authorities being discussed are spiritual beings. Remember, people give those names, but Paul did not name them, only naming Jesus.

Also, remember that one of the rules God gave the children of Israel was that they should not speak the names of the gods of other nations (Exodus 23:13). He does not want his children to spend any bandwidth on other gods.

Paul is trying to prevent the Colossian Christians from giving any deference to the rulers and authorities. He did not claim there are no rulers or authority, but said that when it comes to the children of God, they have been disarmed, they have no right to over them.

To be disarmed means the basis of your power is removed, your means of intimidation is gone, and you can no longer maintain your former reputation and your previous prisoners or those you oppressed. Instead of strength, you now have shame. Your ability is gone. Hence, this verse tells us that Jesus made a public disgrace to them.

These rulers and authorities are armed with the certificate of indebtedness, which has been removed from the basis of their prior hold on us. According to 1 Corinthians 15:56, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” This means the law fuels sin because we are rebellious, and sin fuels death.

Death as judgment on sin is the fuel for the operations of these rulers and authorities. But since Jesus swallowed up death, they are disarmed. They are fueled by God’s displeasure with man, but now that God’s smile is back on man in Christ, they are undone. None of them can operate without God creating the condition for them to do so. But in Christ, he is creating another condition.

These rulers and authorities commanded the fear of the people; they held power over the people, but Christ disarmed them. Now, we can continue to fear them or to walk free in Jesus’ name.

We read in a previous verse that Jesus is the head of all rulers and authorities; now, we are learning that he has disarmed rulers and authorities.

These are spiritual entities that intimidate people and demand devotion, entities demanding recognition, or that for centuries have been given recognition and devotion. But with the death of Jesus on the cross, things have changed, and we are supposed to go ahead and proclaim the good news that the cross represents: the disarming of rulers and authorities. The good news is that people can now walk free from whatever held them bound because of their faith in Jesus.

The shed blood of Jesus is stronger than rulers and authorities (Hebrews 9:14). It brings God into the picture to remedy whatever was wrong. Again, no name was mentioned; that is the level of disregard that Paul is inviting his readers to have for the rulers and authorities.

That there was a disarming, that there was a triumph, means there was a confrontation. The cross is not just where the sin of man and the decrees that were leveled against the man for his transgressions were nailed and made nothing; the rulers and authorities who have spread across the people of the world and oppress the people, demanding and getting allegiances, demanding worship and creating a priest cast, the coming of Christ put an end to that, and we just have to proclaim the truth as Paul is doing here, that the cross changes everything. Paul said believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31); these people in Colossi believed in the Lord Jesus and needed to be told what they have in Christ.

• It is the disarming of the rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15),

• the coming from darkness into light (Colossians 1:13),

• the forgiveness of sin (Colossians 1:14)

• the removal of threats from God in decrees and threats from rulers and authorities that represent the dominion of darkness (Colossians 2:14-15).

• We have a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26)

• a new way (Hebrews 10:20)

• a new Lord (Romans 10:9).

What the rulers and authorities were armed with was the power of death, which is fueled by the presence of sin (1Corinthians 15:56), and when Jesus took on sin and tasted death for everyone on the cross, we saw him naked on the cross, but in reality, it was the rulers and authorities were actually the ones that were naked, with their basis of rule removed from them.

Just as the cross was the gateway to the ascension of the Son of God to the heights of God's presence, it also removed rulers and authorities from their places of negative influence as we were ushered into the kingdom of God, seated with Christ in the heavenly places ourselves, far above principalities and powers (Ephesians 2:6-7).

Though it is completed (John 19:30), some people still don't know that; hence, the proclamation of Christ bridges the gap between Christ's finished works and their observation in people's lives.

What is left now is for the proclamation of the truth so that the elect among all nations will come into the fold.