Do you remember getting your first ticket? I’m not talking about a ticket to a show, movie, or concert. I had just turned 31 years old in February of 2025. My wife and I were headed to an early morning appointment in Roanoke and were taking the backroad there. It was in the morning around 8:00 or a little after. As we were driving through Floyd County on Rt. 221, we were coming through Willis, and I had to slow down as a school bus pulled into the elementary school. As soon as it pulled into the lot, I started to accelerate back up to what I thought was a reasonable speed. Then, we noticed on the other side of the road facing us was a Floyd County Deputy. My stomach dropped. We both knew that he got me. I pulled over just past the end of the school zone sign. I did everything just as I was supposed to and was polite, friendly, and respectful. He was rough at first, but after coming back he said he had to give me a ticket because it was a school zone, but because I was so respectful, if I come to court, he’d get the charge dropped so I’d have nothing on my record. Boy, was I relieved. Embarrassed, but relieved. Growing up, I was always a goodie two-shoes. My two concerns when I got pulled over were about missing our appointment and the second being if this would go on my record or not. Fast forward a month or so, I went to court just as he had said to do, except he didn’t show up. Thankfully, the public attorney struck a deal with myself and numerous others. The charge was changed and nothing went on my record although money still went out of my wallet. I still have a clean record, for now.
When you and I were born, we were born with a record of sin debt imputed to us through our physical birth in Adam. We were born guilty sinners who would grow up to live in sin with our guilt, shame, and debt hanging over our heads. However, with our sin, there is no payment plan that we can get on. We can’t file bankruptcy. We can’t have the charges changed because the Deputy doesn’t show up to court. In the cosmic courtroom of God, He is the judge, we are the defendant who is guilty (and everybody knows it), there are the law books which we have broken, there is the prosecting accusing attorney named Satan, and the testimony of the witness of our own life and heart speaks against us. God, the just and holy judge should throw the book at us. He should crash His gavel down in wrath and fury. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Then, what we see is One steps in on our behalf, Jesus Christ the Lord, the Righteous One, the Savior, the Mediator between God and man, the God-Man supreme and sufficient in His person and work. His blood cleanses us and He defends us having taken our guilt, sin, and shame upon Himself. He exchanges His righteousness (His record) for our unrighteousness (our record) with the Judge imputing our guilt to Christ and imputing Christ’s righteousness to us. We walk away free of any charges.
In our study of Colossians, we have seen that Chris is supreme and sufficient for all of life and for all who are in Him, united in, with, and by Him through faith. Today, we will see the victorious position of the believer so that then we can walk in victory through the union we have with Christ. In the greater passage, we have seen that we are “complete in Him” (2:10) and that we are completely forgiven in Him. We are completely united to Him, in Him, and with Him through circumcision and baptism through the new birth. Col. 2:14-15 says, “14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” In today’s verses, we will see that we have complete victory over sin and Satan. There is nothing to add to the supreme and sufficient work of Christ on the cross. There is nothing more for God to give for He has given us all things in His Son. There is nothing for us to add to what Christ has done for His work is supreme and sufficient to save, sanctify, and satisfy all who are in Him. May the Lord help us to see our victory so that we can walk in victory.
First, we must see our victory over sin in Col. 2:14 which says, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” What a statement! In the previous verses of this section, Paul has declared the union and forgiveness that believers have. He has shown that we are completely saved and united to Christ. Here, he demonstrates through legal terms how Christ accomplished this on our behalf. As the question is sung in “Hallelujah, What a Savior,” “Full atonement can it be? Hallelujah, What a Savior!” If believers don’t see that they have victory in the war over sin, then they will continue to lose their battles against sin. Our complete salvation involves our justification which shows our victory over sin’s penalty. Our sanctification is the lifelong process of battling sin seeing that Christ in us gives us victory over sin’s power. Our promised glorification is the final and ultimate victory we will experience when sin’s presence is banished forever. Here, Paul says that Christ has blotted out our sin and its terrible guilt. “Blotting out” is the word “exalepho” which means to completely wipe off. It is in the aorist tense meaning it happened previously with continual effects. This word referenced the wiping away of ink off of ancient papyrus. In those days, paper was expensive and often a rare commodity. The ink itself had no acid in it which caused the ink to sit on top of the paper without biting into it. Therefore, to save money or reuse paper, one could take a wet sponge and just wipe away all the ink. That’s what Paul has in mind here. It is as if Christ on the cross took a sponge and wiped our sin away. The idea is to obliterate and eliminate any trace of our sin through the total erasing of it. This same thought and word is used in David’s repentance in Psalm 51, Peter’s call to repentance in Acts 3:19, and in God’s total removal of tears of those who are His in Rev. 21:4. What was blotted out? The “handwriting” which is the word “cheirographon” which is a handwritten promissory note of guilt, confession or admission. Think of it as a handwritten statement of guilt or an “IOU.” Romans 1-3:23 shows man’s guilt, but in particular the fact that God’s law is written on our hearts. We know we are guilty and putting one’s faith in Christ is to admit and confess our guilt. We must see that this handwriting of ordinance against us is an infinite indebtedness to God because of our sin. Here, we see that Christ has wiped that debt away. There is nothing else to expunge or add. When Jesus cried, “It is finished!” He really meant it. Paul uses this legal language to show that we had a certificate of our debt that showed our guilt. However, in Christ our certificate of debt has a certificate of death. Our debt is demolished and destroyed to death in the death of Christ. There were “ordinances” or statements of law against us. They were “contrary” to us showing that it was in direct opposition to us. We were guilty, vile, and helpless. Yet, Christ has now taken it out of the way once and for all. His death has destroyed the debt of sin we owed. We owed a debt we could not pay, and He paid a debt He did not owe. We are further reminded of the victory over sin that the cross has secured in that all of these things were “nailed to His cross.” To nail it is to fix it, meaning, our debt went to the cross, it died there and never got off of it. Our sin is erased and debt eliminated at the cross! We have victory over sin in Christ! The way to have victory in the daily battle against sin is to remember and rest in the eternal victory that was won by Christ for us!
Second, we must see our victory over Satan in Col. 2:15 which says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Christ’s death was victorious not just over His foes, but ours. Sin and Satan are our greatest of enemies. Our flesh cannot conquer either one. The Lord Jesus Christ crushed both in a decisive eternal victory at the cross. In what looked like a victory for Satan in the death of Christ, in reality, His death was and is the crushing blow against Satan, the slithering Serpent in the Garden. Jesus is the supreme and sufficient substitute and sacrifice for sinners. God is satisfied to look at His Son and save us, adopt us, and secure us eternally in Christ. In the previous verse, Paul used legal language to show the victory Christ won over sin, but here it is that of a militaristic victory. The word “spoiled” is the word “apekduomai” which means to strip off. It is used in the Old Testament in 1 Chron. 19:4 and 2 Sam. 10:5 of enemies being stripped to be humiliated and paraded before their captures. It is in the aorist tense and middle voice showing it is Christ who initiated and accomplished this on our behalf. There at the cross, the Lord Jesus who had been stripped of clothes in turn strips Satan of all authority and ability to accuse those who believe on Christ. Christ’s humiliation on the cross as the world mocked (and still does – See 1 Cor. 1:18-31) is the humiliating stripping defeat of Satan. Eph. 2:1-10 compliments this passage as it too shows us that we were once in bondage to sin and Satan, but now because of the mercy of God we are saved by grace through faith in Christ who has defeated our greatest foes. The enemies of our soul that were unbeatable have been crushed to death. Paul used the idea of spoiling because the word was used by Roman generals leading a victory parade with stripped and humiliated prisoners of war through the streets to show the greatness, fulness, and totality of his victory. The people would rejoice! How much more should we rejoice in Christ for the greatest victory and conquest of all. Our mortal enemy has been defeated and stripped of his previous hold on us through sin and its awful power. Once more, Paul reminds us that all “principalities and powers” are brought under the subjugation of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. He is the head of all (See Col. 1:16; 2:10; Eph. 6). Jesus has made a “shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Other wonderful verses that show this complete victory over sin and Satan can be seen in Heb. 2:14-18; 1 Cor. 15:55-57; 2 Cor. 2:14; 1 John 4:4-6. Although Satan is still active in his work in the world, his accusations against us now have no authority or ability to do us harm. He is a defeated foe!
As we bring this to a close, I want you to read all of Romans 8. This chapter is filled with the declaration of the victory that we have over sin in that there is no longer any condemnation and over Satan in that there is no longer any accusation that can come against us. God has given us eternal life in His Son! What else is there left to give? What more could we ask for? Is there anything greater or more to add? No! Christ is supreme in His victory over sin and Satan. He has conquered through His sufficient work on the cross. There is no more condemnation or accusation against us. We have a clean slate, a clean record, and we are made new. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We are in union with Him. What does all this mean? One, if you don’t know Christ, victory over sin and Satan are available! Believe on Him! Look to Christ who offers you triumph and victory over what has beaten you down. Two, for those who do know Christ, remember and rest in the victory of Jesus Christ. Live in victory over your enemy for your enemy is already defeated! Don’t be or live in defeat because you already have the victory and victory is ours in Christ! Stay in the fight against sin and Satan in your daily battles clothed in the armor of God, strengthened in Christ because the war is already won at the cross! The cross is our banner, and it is a blood stained banner of victory in Jesus over all our sin and our foe, Satan. Live in victory! March on!
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