Jesus Decimated the Devil when He Rose from the Dead
Decimating the Devil: Standing in Christ’s Victory Over the Powers of Darkness
Message 1 of the series: The Powers of Darkness & the Supremacy of Christ
Your homework for this series: Read the entire book of Colossians, preferably several times, in different translations, as you work through these messages. Read slowly, paying particular attention to Colossians 1–2 and what Paul says about the supremacy of Christ, your completeness in Him, and His victory over spiritual powers. Use cross-references and commentaries to deepen your understanding, and discuss what you discover with other believers.
Why I'm Teaching This Series
October is here, and with it comes all the imagery of witches, skeletons, ghosts, and supernatural activity. For many people, it's just harmless seasonal entertainment. I'm not interested in judging people over Halloween decorations or trick-or-treating. But beneath some of these cultural expressions is a genuine interest in the spiritual realm, and that interest can lead people into some very dark places.
We live in a world where people are increasingly interested in astrology, tarot cards, witchcraft, manifestation, New Age spirituality, psychedelics, psychic readings, and other ways of accessing spiritual knowledge or power. People want answers. They want guidance, protection, healing, and some sense of control over their lives. And many are looking for those things apart from God.
That's why I'm teaching this series, The Powers of Darkness & the Supremacy of Christ.
Over these messages, I want to examine the spiritual forces described in Scripture, the ancient practices that sought to interact with them, and the modern expressions of those same pursuits. We'll look at divination, familiar spirits, astrology, witchcraft, spiritualism, supernatural manifestations, deceptive spiritual experiences, and the difference between natural human capacities and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We'll also address some practices within Christianity that can unintentionally adopt the same underlying logic as occult spirituality. Whenever we believe we must perform a ritual, discover a hidden spiritual law, break a secret curse, or satisfy some spiritual requirement before we can experience what Christ has already accomplished, we risk being drawn away from the simplicity of the gospel.
But I don't want this series to make people afraid of the devil. Quite the opposite.
My goal is to equip believers to understand spiritual deception, recognize the supremacy of Christ, become confident in their identity in Him, and help others discover the freedom that Jesus has already provided.
The church exists to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Most Christians aren't consulting tarot cards or practicing witchcraft, but you probably know people who are interested in these things. I want you to be able to have intelligent, compassionate conversations with them without immediately labeling everything demonic or treating people as though they're the enemy.
And to establish that foundation, we have to begin with what Jesus has already done.
1. Jesus Has Already Disarmed the Powers of Darkness
Colossians 2:15 says:
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
This is where I want to begin, because everything else we discuss in this series must be understood through this truth.
Jesus has already defeated the enemy. Period. And He has delivered YOU from the power of darkness and translated you into HIS Kingdom! You are raised from the dead in HIM and are now seated with HIM in VICTORY in HIS eternal Kingdom!
He didn't merely resist the devil. He didn't just demonstrate that he was stronger than demonic forces. Through His death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation, Jesus decisively defeated the powers of darkness and established His supremacy over every ruler and authority.
Think about the imagery Paul uses. He says Jesus disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them.
In the ancient world, conquering rulers sometimes publicly humiliated defeated kings. Judges 1:6–7 even describes kings whose thumbs and great toes had been cut off, disabling their ability to fight or flee. Roman triumphal processions also displayed defeated enemies before the public.
Paul's imagery communicates the overwhelming victory of Christ. The enemy has been defeated, his claim against us has been answered, and Christ stands supreme.
This connects directly to the two messages I recently taught on atonement and sanctification. Jesus didn't merely provide forgiveness. His finished work brought about an entirely new spiritual reality for those who believe.
He overcame death itself.
In Revelation 1:18, Jesus declares that He has the keys of hell and death. Hebrews 2:14–15 explains that through death He destroyed the power of the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and delivered those who were held in bondage through the fear of death.
And because Jesus became a man, overcame death as a man, and was exalted above every principality and power, those who are united with Him share in His victory.
Humanity was originally given dominion over the earth. Through sin, mankind became subject to death. But Jesus entered our humanity, lived without sin, died our death, rose from the grave, and ascended to the Father.
Through Him we are brought into a relationship with God that gives us access to His life and authority.
This is why I make an important distinction when discussing demonic activity:
The enemy may have the ability to influence, but he does not possess rightful authority over someone who belongs to Christ.
That doesn't mean Christians cannot experience fear, deception, temptation, or spiritual opposition. It means none of those things can overturn what Jesus accomplished.
Our freedom begins with His victory, not with our ability to defeat an enemy He has already conquered.
2. You Are Already Complete in Christ
Paul continues in Colossians 2:
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. — Colossians 2:9–10, KJV
Think about how radical that statement would have been to the original audience.
Colossae was located in what is now Turkey, in a region influenced by Greek, Roman, Jewish, and traditional Anatolian religious beliefs. People lived in a culture where heavenly bodies, spirits, angels, and cosmic forces were often believed to influence human affairs.
Various religious traditions sought protection, favor, purification, knowledge, and spiritual power through rituals and practices.
Into that environment, Paul announces that all the fullness of God dwells in Christ and that believers are complete in Him.
Not partially complete. Not complete once they perform enough rituals or discover enough hidden knowledge.
Complete in Christ.
That's the gospel.
You're not trying to become complete through your efforts. You're learning to live from the completeness that Christ has already given you.
This is one of the major differences between the gospel and religious systems that teach people to work toward spiritual acceptance. Many people approach Christianity as though they're continually trying to qualify for something God has already provided. They believe they need to repent enough, forgive enough, pray enough, break enough curses, or discover enough hidden spiritual problems before they can finally be free.
But Paul doesn't direct the Colossians toward another spiritual technique. He directs them back to Christ. Your spiritual standing isn't determined by how well you perform a ritual. It's determined by what Jesus has accomplished.
3. What Actually Happened When You Were Born Again?
Colossians 2:11–14 gives us an extraordinary description of the spiritual work God performs in the believer.
Paul describes a circumcision made without hands, the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh (sarx), being buried and raised with Christ, being made alive, receiving forgiveness, and having the record of lawbreaking against us canceled.
This is much more than a change in religious affiliation.
When you believed the gospel, God did something in you.
The old spiritual condition associated with sin and death was dealt with through your union with Christ. You were made alive together with Him.
This is why I emphasize the new creation.
Second Corinthians 5:17 says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
You don't become righteous by successfully avoiding every possible spiritual attack. You become righteous through Christ.
And Paul says that the record of debt standing against us was taken out of the way and nailed to the cross.
Think about that… Every accusation that could disqualify you from righteousness has been answered through the finished work of Jesus.
That's why the enemy's accusations are powerless when we stand in the truth of what Christ has done. You are forgiven. You have been cleansed. You have been made alive. The Spirit of God lives in you. And you don't have to spend the rest of your Christian life trying to become what God says you already are.
You live from that reality.
4. How the Enemy Uses Fear, Trauma, and False Identity
One of the questions people frequently ask is whether a Christian can have a demon. That’s the wrong question, the real issue is…Can a Christian believe a lie?
Of course we can.
And when you believe something false about yourself, especially something rooted in fear, shame, trauma, or rejection, that belief can shape the way you experience life.
I often describe demonic influence using the analogy of radio frequencies. There are radio waves passing through the room around you right now. You don't see them or hear them, but a receiver tuned to the appropriate frequency can pick up the signal they're carrying.
I use that as an illustration of spiritual influence, not as a scientific explanation of how demons operate.
The point is that deception gains influence when we become receptive to it.
Imagine someone who has experienced severe trauma. They may develop deeply held beliefs about their worth, safety, or identity. Those beliefs can continue affecting their relationships, emotions, and decisions long after the original event.
I believe the enemy seeks to exploit those vulnerabilities by reinforcing lies.
Maybe the accusation sounds like this:
"You've sinned too many times. You're probably not really saved."
Or perhaps:
"You haven't forgiven enough. There's still something wrong with you."
Or:
"Because of what happened to you, this is all you deserve."
Those thoughts can become deeply ingrained, and people begin living as though they're true.
But what does the gospel say?
I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
I have been forgiven.
I have been cleansed.
I have been made holy.
I am alive in Christ.
The Spirit of God dwells in me.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
These aren't simply positive affirmations. They are truths grounded in the finished work of Christ. And when you begin believing those truths at the heart level, the lies that have influenced you begin losing their power.
This doesn't mean every experience of anxiety, trauma, or intrusive thoughts is demonic. Nor does it mean people can simply choose their way out of every psychological struggle. Trauma can have lasting effects that deserve compassionate, appropriate care. But regardless of the source of a particular struggle, the truth of your identity in Christ is a powerful foundation for renewing your mind.
The Night I Overcame a Deeply Rooted Fear
I shared a personal experience in the sermon that illustrates what I mean.
I didn't grow up in a Christian home. My mother was interested in New Age spirituality, and there were other destructive influences around me growing up. I experienced some very dark and frightening things before I came to know the Lord.
Even after becoming a Christian and experiencing substantial healing, there were moments when old fears would suddenly resurface.
I remember one particular night when my wife and I were living in a condominium early in our marriage. I heard a disturbing noise outside in the middle of the night. It turned out to be neighbors arguing, but the sound triggered an intense physical reaction in me.
I felt that familiar cold sensation of fear moving through my body. Old memories and emotions began rising to the surface.
But something was different that night. Instead of surrendering to the fear, I stopped and reminded myself of what I knew to be true.
Jesus died for me.
I belong to Him.
I am saved.
I am loved.
I am secure in Christ.
And in that moment, the fear lost its grip.
I had a profound spiritual experience of the Father laughing at the enemy's failed attempt to intimidate me. The Father’s laughter came from within my belly. I don’t mean that I laughed; it was much different. I could hear Father God laughing from within me, at the enemy. That did something to me. I then heard a voice within me, which I believe to be the voice of my spirit, repeating…the Spirit of the living God dwells within me, the
It reminded me of Psalm 2, where God laughs at the rebellious powers that imagine they can overthrow His authority. What I sensed was the Father delighting in the fact that I was finally standing in the truth of who I was in Christ. I didn't have to perform a complicated deliverance ritual. I didn't have to discover some hidden sin or spiritual loophole.
I stood in what Jesus had already accomplished. And the fear broke. That's the kind of freedom I want believers to experience.
5. Don't Exchange the Gospel for Spiritual Techniques
Paul begins Colossians 2:8 with a warning:
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. — Colossians 2:8, KJV
The Greek word stoicheia, translated as "rudiments" in the King James Version, can refer to elementary principles or elemental forces of the world. You could also think of it as an understanding of the laws of physics and the manipulation of earth’s energies. That’s what it stretches into in our time, in terms of phenomena like manifesting and the law of attraction.
Paul is warning believers against being taken captive by systems of thought and religious practices that draw them away from Christ.
We also see modern parallels in astrology, horoscopes, crystals, Reiki, manifestation, the law of attraction, and other forms of spirituality that seek power or guidance apart from God.
But I also want Christians to recognize how easily we can adopt similar thinking.
Some approaches to inner healing and deliverance can leave believers believing that their freedom depends on identifying every past offense, breaking every supposed soul tie, renouncing every generational curse, or satisfying a long list of spiritual conditions.
I'm not saying everything associated with those ministries is wrong. Forgiveness, repentance, emotional healing, and renewing the mind are important. The problem comes when we make those activities prerequisites for receiving freedom from an enemy Christ has already defeated.
If your spiritual freedom depends on finding the one hidden thing you haven't done correctly, you'll never trust the finished work.
You'll always wonder whether you've missed something.
That's the opposite of Paul's message. He says you're complete in Christ.
I want believers to stop looking for spiritual loopholes and start believing the gospel.
The Difference Between Human Capacity and Spiritual Authority
In the companion podcast (posted below), I also explored something that I think deserves more attention: the difference between natural human capacities and the authority we have in Christ.
God created humanity in His image and gave mankind dominion over the earth. We have extraordinary capacities to learn, create, influence our environment, and affect our own lives through what we believe and how we act.
Our bodies also have remarkable natural healing systems. Our beliefs and expectations can influence our behavior, stress responses, and even certain physical experiences.
I believe there is much about human capacity and God's creation that we still don't fully understand.
But we should distinguish established scientific findings from spiritual interpretations. For example, the quantum double-slit experiment doesn't demonstrate that human consciousness can rearrange matter by intention, and anecdotes about tumors disappearing through spoken commands aren't sufficient to establish that humans possess such abilities.
Those questions are worth examining carefully rather than building our theology on unverified claims.
My larger point is that we shouldn't automatically assume every unusual experience is demonic. At the same time, we shouldn't confuse our natural capacities with the authority and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
There is a difference between using the abilities God has given us and trying to manipulate creation to obtain our desires independently of His wisdom. That distinction matters when discussing practices like manifestation and the law of attraction.
A person might create a vision board, focus on a particular goal, and eventually achieve it. That doesn't necessarily mean the universe rearranged itself to fulfill their intentions. Their beliefs may have influenced their attention, choices, persistence, and behavior.
But when someone begins treating creation itself as a spiritual source of power and guidance, apart from the Creator, we're dealing with a different issue.
The same principle applies to astrology.
The heavens operate according to real patterns and rhythms, but that doesn't establish that the arrangement of stars determines your personality or your future. Why would I seek direction from a horoscope when I have access to the wisdom of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Why would I try to manipulate spiritual forces when I'm united with the One who created the universe?
We don't need to harness the powers of the universe when we're united with the One who created the universe and is supreme over every power within it.
6. Learn to Live from the Word and the Spirit
I want Christians to become confident in their relationship with God.
Not just confident that God exists or that they'll go to heaven someday, but confident that the Holy Spirit lives within them and wants to lead them through everyday life.
Sometimes we become so fascinated with miracles, spiritual gifts, and supernatural manifestations that we overlook the ordinary ways the Spirit wants to work in us.
Can you turn your heart toward the Lord and receive wisdom about how to treat your spouse?
Can you trust Him to guide you as you raise your children?
Can you seek His wisdom concerning your career, finances, and relationships?
Can you recognize when your thoughts are being shaped by fear rather than by the truth of Christ?
That's spiritual maturity.
I want the church to have both the Word and the Spirit.
And when I say the Word, I'm not merely talking about collecting Bible verses. I'm talking about knowing Christ, the eternal Logos, the wisdom and revelation of God.
Jesus reveals the Father's character. His life, death, burial, and resurrection establish the foundation for understanding God's nature and His will toward us.
Every belief we have about God should be informed by what He has revealed through Christ.
Too many people build their theology around their circumstances.
They experience tragedy and conclude that God must be punishing them. They experience fear and conclude that the devil must have authority over them. They struggle with sin and conclude that they must not be righteous.
But we don't determine spiritual truth by interpreting our circumstances.
We interpret our circumstances through the truth revealed in Christ.
This is why I want you reading Colossians throughout this series.
I want these truths to become so established in your heart that when deception comes, you recognize it immediately.
And I want you equipped to help others.
If a friend is consulting psychics, experimenting with tarot cards, or looking to astrology for direction, don't simply condemn them and walk away.
Have a conversation.
Find out what they're looking for.
Maybe they want reassurance about their future. Maybe they're grieving someone they've lost. Maybe they're afraid, confused, or desperate for guidance.
You have something much better to offer than fear or judgment.
You can introduce them to Jesus Christ, who has overcome death, defeated the powers of darkness, and opened the way for humanity to know God personally.
That's why we're here.
Church attendance isn't the pinnacle of Christianity. We're here to grow, mature, and become equipped to represent Jesus in the world.
Practical Guidance: What to Do When You Experience Fear or Spiritual Oppression
I want to close with some specific guidance from this message, especially for those who experience intense fear, disturbing thoughts, recurring accusations, or what they perceive to be spiritual manifestations.
1. Stop and recognize what's happening. If you wake up in the middle of the night gripped by fear, or suddenly experience a disturbing thought, don't immediately assume that something has authority over you. Recognize the experience without surrendering to the conclusions fear wants you to draw.
2. Affirm your salvation in Christ. Remind yourself that Jesus died for you, that God raised Him from the dead, and that you belong to Him. Your security rests in Christ's finished work, not in how you feel at that moment.
3. Declare the truth of your new identity. Remind yourself that you are forgiven, cleansed, righteous in Christ, alive to God, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. These are the truths that counter accusations rooted in guilt, shame, and condemnation.
4. Stand in Christ's authority rather than trying to earn it. You don't have to discover some hidden spiritual requirement before you can resist the enemy. If you're experiencing what you believe to be spiritual opposition, stand confidently in the supremacy of Jesus and refuse to agree with the accusation.
5. Resist the enemy by submitting to God. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Resistance begins with agreement with God and His truth, not fear-driven spiritual activity.
6. Don't chase spiritual loopholes. You don't have to endlessly search for forgotten sins, curses, soul ties, or things you haven't forgiven enough to explain every difficult experience. Deal honestly with whatever needs attention in your life, but don't allow a system of spiritual requirements to replace confidence in Christ.
7. Replace lies with truth and renew your mind. When a thought contradicts what God says about you, don't embrace it as your identity. Return to Scripture and establish your thinking in what Jesus has accomplished.
8. Live uprightly because you're accepted, not to become accepted. Sin can harden your heart and produce guilt and shame, making you more vulnerable to deception. Pursue a life that reflects Christ because you've already been made new, not because you're trying to qualify for His love.
9. Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance instead of looking for answers in spiritual substitutes. Don't turn to horoscopes, divination, rituals, or supernatural techniques to determine your future. Learn to recognize God's character, apply His Word, and become sensitive to His leading in everyday decisions.
10. Help others discover the same freedom. When people around you are exploring spiritual practices apart from Christ, be prepared to listen, answer questions, and introduce them to the gospel. Don't be afraid of those conversations, and don't make people feel condemned for asking questions.
If you're experiencing persistent fear, trauma symptoms, or disturbing perceptions, it's also appropriate to seek help from a qualified mental health professional alongside trusted spiritual support. Receiving care doesn't diminish your faith or your identity in Christ.
The central truth I want you to carry away from this message is simple:
Jesus has already defeated the enemy. You are already complete in Christ. Your responsibility is not to win a victory He hasn't won, but to believe what He has accomplished and learn to live from that reality.
The devil doesn't get to define you. Your past doesn't get to define you. Fear doesn't get to define you.
Jesus does.
And when you become established in who you are in Him, you can stand confidently in His victory, grow in spiritual maturity, and become a light to people who are still searching for answers in the darkness.
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