“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-15
A guest on a Christian talk show was telling about an exorcism he performed. He described frightening displays of demonic power in the room of the demon-possessed individual. Furniture moved and the demoniac howled horribly. Several friends heard the same program; they said, “You’ll never find me getting into stuff like that!” Fear gripped their hearts, making them think that demon-possession was the worst of all evils.
But is it? The devil’s most damning weapon is not demon possession, or even the oppression he forces on weak Christians. His most damning weapon is not evil spirits, ghostly appearances, weird sounds, green flashing lights, levitation, or chairs scooting around a room. The devil’s most powerful weapon is unforgiven sin. It is the only ammunition he has against us. Sin that we try to shield from the Holy Spirit’s scrutiny becomes a weapon in the devil’s hands. With it, he can accuse us, belittle us, strip us of confidence and, finally, he can rob our joy and peace of mind.
Take heart from today’s verse. Jesus took away our sin and nailed it to the cross. Having done that, He disarmed the powers of darkness — even making a public spectacle of demonic forces.
Your sin was nailed to the cross, but you nevertheless have the responsibility of bringing every sin before the throne of God in confession — God wants you to acknowledge your transgressions and iniquities. When you do, those sins are no longer weapons the devil can use to defeat and discourage you. What wrongdoing can you acknowledge before God today?
Lord Jesus, thank You for nailing my sin to the cross. Search my heart, Holy Spirit, and reveal any transgression I need to turn from.
