Disarmed

 April 17, 2022

Our son continues to amaze me. He spoke at worship this morning about his diagnosis of having five tumors on his brain and a lesion on a lung. “Not what I had envisioned this Sunday to be,” he said. But immediately, he turned to his purpose. “Whatever you’re going through today, you need Jesus.” “I didn’t realize how much I’ve taken life for granted; we’re not promised tomorrow, so get right with Jesus today.” “Pastor Joe and I agree; we are one-trick ponies. All we have to offer is Jesus.”

Yesterday, I wrote about Saturdays; those dark days of waiting, in between disaster and deliverance. I expect I may face quite a few of those Saturdays over the next weeks and months. Maybe not; perhaps God will miraculously heal our son. I would be delighted, but if God chooses a different path, we’ll walk it as faithfully as we know how, holding tightly to Jesus’ hand because that’s all you can do when you can’t see the path yourself.

This morning’s reading was in St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians Christians, chapter two, verse fifteen, where he says something curious in its accuracy. He says Christ has disarmed the principalities and powers—the very ones we stand against in Ephesians 6:12. “Disarmed,” he says. I would have said, “They are defeated,” or “destroyed,” but Paul knows better. Jesus disarmed them, took away their weapons of lies, hatred, fear, pride. “The battle is the Lord’s,” the Scripture says. Jesus fought the battle in our place, a battle we could not win and he did not lose. So we don’t actually have to fight; all we do is stand our ground. 

These principalities and powers are still here. We can see their destructive work everywhere they have not been exposed for what they really are—toothless pretenders.

On the cross, Jesus disarmed them. In the tomb, he buried their weapons forever. In his resurrection and ascension, he declared before heaven and earth his power forever. The principalities and powers of darkness may strut and brag; they threaten and cajole, but their weapons are gone! We stand on sure foundation of Jesus Christ, wielding the powerful weapons of our warfare that are able to cast down imaginations and all that exalts itself against God. We wield them against an enemy who stands naked and powerless before us because our Lord in whom we live and move and have our being has disarmed him, striding forth on this day from the tomb in glory and majesty and life eternal!