This article is a summary from the following sermon: Christ’s Victory Over the Principalities and Powers Part 2 by Jon Moffitt
Most of us know the story: Jesus came to save sinners like you and me. Praise God—that’s gloriously true! But there’s more to the story, more to the battle, and more to Christ’s triumph than we often realize.
Jesus didn’t just rescue us from personal guilt. He didn’t just save us from ourselves. He came to crush the powers that had enslaved the world. He came to liberate His people from the rule of unseen rulers, authorities, principalities, and powers—the dark domain that holds the nations captive.
When Paul says Christ has "disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame" (Colossians 2:15), he’s not speaking in metaphor. He’s describing a real cosmic war that Jesus entered—and won.
A Red Rover Rescue Mission
Let’s picture it the way we explained it to the kids this week.
Imagine two teams locked together, arms tight, daring the other side to break through. The enemy's goal is to tear through our line, to pull people away, to destroy the unity of the body of Christ. But how does he do it? Not usually with brute force. No, he uses lies. Twisted truths. Good things abused and corrupted.
Satan and his forces don't often come through the front door. They sneak in through distraction, division, shame, fear, and false teaching. They take food, sports, success—good gifts—and turn them into idols that divide us. They twist the very gospel that unites us.
That’s why Paul says we must be alert. We must know our enemy. We must know how the enemy attacks—and even more, we must know the One who has already won.
Where Did the Enemy Come From?
A lot of Christians don't even know how the Bible describes the enemy. We've been discipled more by materialism and rationalism than by Scripture. If we can't see it or touch it, we assume it isn't real.
But the Bible tells a different story.
Genesis 10 and 11 give us the backdrop. After the flood, humanity gathered together at Babel—not to worship God, but to tap back into the power of heaven. They built a ziggurat, hoping to call down the spiritual beings for their own gain, just like the rebellion before the flood.
In response, God confused their language and divided the nations. Deuteronomy 32 tells us something remarkable: when God divided humanity, He assigned spiritual beings—called “sons of God”—to oversee the nations. But He kept one nation for Himself: Israel.
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.” (Deuteronomy 32:8–9)
The nations were handed over to spiritual rulers, and their job was to shepherd and govern people toward righteousness.
But they didn’t.
Psalm 82 tells us these sons of God rebelled. Instead of governing justly, they ruled corruptly. They led people into darkness. They accepted worship for themselves instead of pointing people to Yahweh.
So God judged them: "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die" (Psalm 82:6–7).
These rulers—these fallen beings—became the principalities and powers that Paul warns us about. They are the gods behind the nations. They are real, and they are hostile.
The Nations Turned to Other Gods
Throughout the Old Testament, Israel constantly battles against these false gods—Baal, Molech, Chemosh, and others. These aren't just statues or human-invented myths. They are real spiritual powers.
When Israel yoked themselves to these gods through sacrifices and idolatry, they weren’t just making cultural mistakes—they were committing spiritual adultery. They were handing themselves over to demonic rulers.
And the power these rulers had was terrifying. They promised prosperity, protection, fertility—but at horrific costs, like the sacrifice of children to Molech.
This is why God’s first commandment is so severe: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). He wasn’t just warning against bad ideas—He was warning against very real, very powerful beings who sought to enslave and destroy.
Christ’s Rescue Operation
Into this dark and twisted world comes Jesus.
When Paul says that Jesus transferred us out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13), he means it literally.
We weren’t just lost. We weren’t just confused. We were held captive. We were enslaved to rulers who hated us and hated our God. And Jesus came to storm their kingdom, tear open their gates, and set the captives free.
And how did He do it?
He paid our ransom.
“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers… with the precious blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18–19)
There was a legal demand against us. The rulers of this world held up the record of our sin and said, "You can't have them, God! They belong to us!"
So Jesus satisfied the demand. He didn't bribe them. He didn't negotiate. He didn't compromise. He shed His blood and purchased us forever.
And when He rose from the grave, He put the rulers and authorities to open shame. They thought they had won. They thought they had snuffed out the Messiah. Instead, the cross became their public humiliation. Their grip was broken. Their power shattered.
The Gospel Marches Forward
But the battle isn’t over yet.
The rulers and authorities, though defeated, are still fighting a desperate, doomed rebellion. They know their time is short, and they are determined to inflict as much damage as they can.
They don't want the gospel to spread. They don't want people rescued. They want to keep the nations enslaved.
That’s why Jesus commissions His church:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…" (Matthew 28:18–19)
Notice: all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus didn’t just win back people—He reclaimed the nations.
And He sends us—weak, small, ordinary people—to advance His kingdom.
The powers of darkness tremble when the gospel is proclaimed. They shudder when captives are set free. They lose their grip every time a sinner repents and trusts in Christ.
Stand Firm, Church
We aren’t fighting flesh and blood. We aren’t just battling bad ideas or political ideologies.
We are in a cosmic war against real, defeated, but still dangerous enemies.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
We fight by standing in Christ. We fight by clinging to the gospel. We fight by proclaiming the good news that the King has already won.
Friend, you are free. You have been ransomed. You are no longer under the domain of darkness. Christ is your King, and His kingdom cannot be shaken.
The rulers and powers of this world will rage. They will lie. They will tempt and accuse.
But they cannot undo what Jesus has done.
They cannot steal you from His hand.
They cannot silence His gospel.
And one day, they will be finally, fully destroyed when our King returns.
Until then, we stand firm. We proclaim Christ. We rejoice that our names are written in heaven.
Because our King reigns—and His victory is ours.
