“Jesus Is My Victory”
Colossians 2:8-15
Sermon Series: “The Cross”
Introduction: We have been looking at different aspects of what Jesus accomplished on the cross in this series, and today we are going to see the victory that He won through His substitutionary death and glorious resurrection. We need to see Jesus as a mighty conqueror instead of a passive teacher. Of course, Jesus did not look victorious while He was hanging on the cross. He looked like one of the biggest losers in human history. Why do Christians celebrate a tortured martyr? Why do Christians claim that there is victory in Jesus? It doesn’t make a lot of sense at face value, but I am claiming that the cross, which looked like the biggest defeat of all time, is really the greatest victory ever. I ask you to consider this claim and how you should respond to it. I believe that all of us need and want to live victorious lives. Here is how Jesus gives us victory:
1. Jesus is my victory over sin (v. 11-14). We may not want to admit it, but each of us has sinned against a holy God. Sin is, first and foremost, an injustice against our perfect Creator, who is worthy of all glory and obedience. However, the good news is that Jesus died for our sins in order to forgive us of all our sins when we trust Him. He also give us the power to put off sin and live in the way God wants us to live. We cannot live victoriously without Jesus’s victory over sin because sin keeps us from knowing God (Isaiah 59:2), keeps us from our purpose of glorifying God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and always has serious consequences (Ezekiel 18:4, Galatians 6:7).
2. Jesus is my victory over death (v. 12-14). The great promise of Easter is that we are made alive together with Jesus. He is alive, and we are alive in and through Him. According to the Bible, the essence of death is separation, but Jesus conquered death through His death and resurrection to “release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15).
Jesus moves us from:
A. Spiritual Death To Spiritual Life (Ephesians 2:1)
B. Physical Death To A Bodily Resurrection (John 14:19)
C. Eternal Death To Eternal Life (Romans 6:23)
3. Jesus is my victory over Satan (v. 15). This may not be fashionable to believe in our modern world, but we have an enemy who wants to destroy our souls. The Bible calls him Satan, among other names. He is a fallen angel who commands legions of other fallen angels. He wanted to destroy Jesus and thought he had done it through the cross, but his apparent victory turned into his demise. Jesus had defeated him, but he is still active today, and his goal is to deceive and destroy us. However, verse 15 pictures Jesus leading a victory parade over Satan and his hosts to celebrate the victory of the finished work on the cross and the empty tomb. Through the authority of Jesus, we have the power to resist Satan (1 Peter 5:8-9) and live as a victorious overcomer. Through Jesus, we can live abundant lives instead of letting Satan destroy us (John 10:10).
Conclusion-Response: We are made complete in Jesus, who is fully God and man and has authority over all things. That is our identity if we are in Christ. We can live victoriously out of that identity. If you are not a Christian, repent and trust Him today. He will fill you up and give you victory. We must stop seeking our victory in :
1. Man-made philosophies (v. 8).
2. Man-made religion (v. 16-23).
Only Jesus can truly make us complete and give us victory. He is sufficient. Everything else is a sorry substitute. Let’s live in joyful confidence through Him.
