Colossians 2.13-15: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14) 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. (15) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (NIV)
Looking at the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus from an earthly perspective, it would be logical to think that Jesus lost the religious and theological battle the High Priest and elders of the people waged against Him. One could conclude that their plot with Judas and their manipulation of Pilate the governor carried the day. Their plan to kill Jesus worked to their satisfaction. Certainly they were congratulating themselves.
But that is just the earthly perspective. In terms of the ultimate, genuine, spiritual vantage point, Jesus won the victory. It is seemingly logically backwards. Jesus won the victory by means of Him allowing the religious leaders to have Him crucified.
And as the verses above teach, Jesus won this victory on behalf of the whole world. And this victory is to the benefit of every person who will put his or her faith and trust in Him as Savior. This victory is available to all who will believe in Him, and it makes every person who will do so eternally alive. Before faith in Christ we were dead in our sins, and after faith in Christ we are made alive, as verse 13 says.
And in addition to bringing eternal life to believers, Jesus triumphed over the legal indictment that was charged against us because of our sins. The victory of Jesus on the cross imputes to us a “not guilty” judgment in response to the spiritual, legal charges against us.
The victory of Jesus on the cross also triumphs over the devil and all of his forces of evil in the heavenly realm. Spiritual beings who oppose us. But the devil always was going to lose.
The mission of Jesus was to live a perfect, sinless life and give His life on the cross, as prophesied centuries before, and in doing so winning the victory as God’s perfect, sinless, sacrifice. Triumphing over death, sin and the devil. It might seem backwards to us, but this is God’s way and plan.