Tuesday November 25, 2014

Read: Colossians 2:15

 You did not want to lose a battle in ancient times. As a survivor not only would you be captured and enslaved by the enemy but you would often be publically humiliated as well. It was customary for the victorious general to be thrown a victory parade to celebrate winning the battle. Behind the general and his troops would follow the prisoners of the battle, normally in chains. The idea was to humiliate them and to show how great and mighty the general was who conquered these men. They were exposed to public disgrace and humiliation.

This is the image that Paul conjures up in our minds in this verse. Jesus is the victorious general who now leads a victory parade before all creation. He has disarmed the evil powers and authorities, stripping them of all power and now He parades before them as the victor. Whenever Paul uses the phrase ‘powers and authorities’ he is talking primarily about evil spiritual powers and forces. He is talking about Satan and his minions who would seek to harm us. Jesus, by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead has defeated those evil powers once and for all.

The Bible clearly teaches that there are evil spiritual forces at work in the world. But for the Christian we need not fear their power over us. Christ has defeated them. They cannot destroy us. They do not have authority over us. Christ has defeated them and made a public spectacle of them. It seems that the false teachers in Colossae were teaching that the believers needed to do certain things to protect themselves from these spiritual forces or keep them at bay. Paul reminds the believers that Jesus is the ruler over all these forces and He has triumphed over them once and for all.

We must still be careful at this point. Those evil forces are still at work in the world, fighting against God’s people and seeking to deceive those who don’t know Christ. They have been disarmed and defeated by Christ at the cross but until He returns to deal with them forever they are working in our world. As Christians we must be aware of this battle but we do not need to be afraid because of the victory that Christ has already won for us.

Some false teachers will try to convince you that you too need to do certain things to avoid evil forces having power over you. They will try to teach you that you need to keep certain rules, say certain things or live in a certain way. The truth is that we do not need to be afraid of evil forces in that way. Christ has defeated them at the cross and has made a public spectacle of them. Always remember that Christ has won the ultimate victory.

In light of that we are able to live boldly and confidently. We are able to preach the gospel without fear because God is on our side. We are able to fight sin in our lives with confidence because God is working in us. We are able to live with peace and joy that comes from knowing God and all that He has done on our behalf. Praise God for the victory of Christ!

Prayer:

Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

¥ Praise God for His victory at the Cross! Praise Him that He has won the victory over all the evil powers and authorities at work in the world.

¥ Pray that as we wait for the day where His victory is finally and fully expressed God would be working against the evil forces that would seek to stop the spread of the gospel and deceive people so that they would not believe the truth of the gospel. Pray specifically that God would be at work in your church giving the believers boldness to preach the gospel.

 Worship Moment:

Christ has won the ultimate victory at the Cross! He is supreme and above all other things. He is worthy of all praise and glory and honour. Take some time today to praise Him and to thank Him for His victory at the cross.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. As a group try to make a list of the things that Christ accomplished by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Make sure to include this verse.

2. How would you encourage a believer who is discouraged and very afraid of evil spiritual forces?

 Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro:  There are so many things that Jesus did for us on the cross!

Share: What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? Think of as many things as you can.
Read:  Colossians 2:15 Paul tells us here about another thing that Jesus accomplished on the cross. What is it? On the cross Jesus defeated all the evil powers in the world. Jesus has rescued us from all the forces of evil. This means we don’t have to be afraid if we trust Jesus because He has defeated all the evil powers. How does this make you feel? How could you remember this next time you are scared?
Pray Together: Thank Jesus that He did so much for us on the cross!

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro:  There are so many things that Jesus did for us on the cross!

Share: What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? Think of as many things as you can.
Read:  Colossians 2:15 Paul tells us here about another thing that Jesus accomplished on the cross. What is it? On the cross Jesus defeated all the evil powers in the world. Jesus has rescued us from all the forces of evil. This means we don’t have to be afraid if we trust Jesus because He has defeated all the evil powers. How does this make you feel? How could you remember this next time you are scared?
Pray Together: Thank Jesus that He did so much for us on the cross!