Colossians 2:15 says that when God “disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” The Bible words used here are very instructive to us in the spiritual warfare we face every day.

The words “rulers” and “authorities” here are the exact same Greek Bible words as those used in Ephesians 6:12, where it says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the rulers, against the powers …”. Those words “rulers and powers” are the “archas” and the “exousias” — the very same words used in Colossians 2:15.

So what of these “rulers” and “powers” (or “authorities”) who oppose us? Colossians 2:15 says that God “made a public spectacle of them” — literally this means: “disgraced them in public” — through Jesus! In other words, the triumph of Jesus in His death and resurrection totally disgraced, humiliated, and defeated the very same spiritual forces who are opposing us in our daily struggles!

This should encourage us as we engage in spiritual warfare each day — and it should keep us close to Jesus. It is HE who “disgraced them in public” through His cross and resurrection, so don’t be ashamed of Him. Rather let’s be bold and strong in lifting Him up as our Lord & God — and in those daily spiritual battles, when your own “Screwtape” is messing with you, you might just remind him of how he was “disgraced” by our victorious King!