Colossians 2:15 15After he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he exposed them, triumphing over them through him.
There are several questions about the specific meaning of parts of this verse but the message is clear. The questions are about how this happened in history and to whom. Who are the rulers and authorities Paul mentions here? There are several options. These could be interpreted to be human authorities, such as the Jewish leaders who accused Jesus of blaspheme. By his resurrection, Jesus proved them wrong and him correct. His resurrection vindicated everything he taught. These could also be interpreted to be the spiritual forces of evil. Jesus’ victory of sin and death beat the devil at his own game. The participle disarmed (apekdysamenos) could also have an instrumental sense to it: “by disarming . . . he exposed.” Jesus took away their power to deceive, distract, and dominate weak humanity. We now have a greater source of strength through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Jesus exposed these frauds for what they were: deceiving and powerless. People are fooled by the false promises and enticements of the world of evil. Whether the rulers and authorities are human or spiritual does not matter because Satan can work through human agencies to fool people into following the ways of the world and falling prey to the desires of the flesh. Humanism in all of its forms reflects the deep heart issue of sin. The only solution to this problem is spiritual circumcision through total commitment and surrender to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ as Lord.
The power of Jesus over these adversaries and the hope of victory for believers can be seen in the last clause, triumphing over them through him. The image here is of a military procession after victory in battle (see 2 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus is in the front of the parade, with all the forces of evil held captive. This image should give the Colossians encouragement and hope that they are on the winning side. Every foe they face, whether that be physical or spiritual in nature, is under the one through all things were created and through whom all things are held together (1:16). There is nothing outside of his control.
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