Select a Ring of Truth daily devotion online
Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
Select the date to display the devotion for:
Colossians 2:13-15
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the Cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.”
The Triumph of the Cross.
This has got to be one of the most dramatic and dynamic passages of all Scripture. Certainly a passage well worth committing to memory. It is the Gospel in miniature.
Paul always went for the ‘full’ Gospel. He made no ‘bones’ or apology about the fact that our ‘natural’ state – because of the Fall of Adam and Eve - was ‘death.’ We were dead because of our sins. There is no shading; it is stark black and white.
Our uncircumcised “sinful nature” is what Paul calls elsewhere ‘the old man’ or ‘old nature’ – the/our ‘pre-saved’ position. It is the life that was controlled by us, and our sinful desires.
The ‘circumcision’ to which he refers is not the mutilation of the flesh but of the soul. It is cutting off all the old nature through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit – being “born again” (John 3:3).
What we have to ensure is that we have total circumcision – so we don’t go back to our old ways and behaviour. We have to die to the past in every respect. We do that, not in our own strength, but through our own desire and determination. Yes, it is up to us. God made us “alive with Christ”. Therefore, we have been given all the power, authority, strength and ability to change. What we need is the desire, the determination and the decision.
Where most people struggle is with the desire. Either the ‘sin’ is too ‘enjoyable’ or the fear of letting go is too scary because the ‘sin’ has been their ‘security’ for so long. Their thought patterns diminish the power of God but that does not mean God has become incapable or impotent.
That’s why Water Baptism is so helpful. When we go down into the water, which acts as a grave (see Romans 6), we ‘die’ to our old ways, ambitions, selfishness and actions. When we come back up, it is in the resurrection power of God to live for Him and Him alone. His agenda, not ours.
“He forgave us all our sins.” Each one of us and every one of them.
If we will humble ourselves through confession and repentance – He will forgive. Period. End of story. It’s a ‘Ring of Truth’!
He “cancelled the written code” – which stood opposed to us. The Judgement – ‘Guilty!’ and the Sentence – ‘Receive God’s Wrath’. And all the ‘Condemnation’ of the enemy.
“He took it away by nailing it to the Cross” - He died in our place. We should be there, not Him. But He died and when He did, because He was sinless He was able to take all of our sin and nail it to His Cross, thereby paying the price to make us sinless – forgiven and free. Hallelujah!
But there’s more, He “disarmed the powers and authorities” (that stood against us and God) “triumphing over them by the Cross” – so everyone could see – on the Cross. The Cross was shame and death to Him – but life and health to us. Those “powers and authorities” have No Authority over us. Arrogance, pride and rebellion were all triumphed over “by the Cross.” They no longer rule unchallenged. They are like toothless lions. Noisy but their power has been totally broken and they are beaten foes.
When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He was declaring that not only was the ‘full sentence’ of the Holy God satisfied but He was also claiming the Victory – over Satan and his demons, sin, death and hell and all their powers. They thought they had won, whereas, in fact, Jesus’ death sealed their eternal fate once and for all.
You/we don’t need to try and win the war – Jesus has already won it. All we have to do is live in the truth of that, stand firm in it (see Ephesians 6:12-14) and complete the ‘mopping up’ exercise.
That is why it is the triumph. That is why it is ‘Good News’.
Now rejoice and go and live in His Victory today.
(And for the rest of your life.)
Download the above Ring of Truth devotion as a PDF.
Previous Day's Devotion | Next Day's Devotion
To subscribe to this daily devotion by email visit our Daily Email subscription page.
