Debt Canceled and Paid in Full
(Creditors Neutralized)
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
If you have ever been in financial debt and had the creditors calling you day and night, you can really relate to these verses. Paul is telling the church at Colossi the wonderful news of their debt free life. He wants them to know that they no longer have a debt. Jesus paid the debt. But, on top of the debt being paid, he disarmed the creditor(s). In this case there are two Creditors. One is Death and one is Satan. When Jesus paid for our sins on the cross He overcame the creditor of Death. Remember, the wages of sin is death. Jesus paid for the sins and died for us. It is not as though death was escaped. It was fully paid, by Christ. The wages of sin was STILL death, but instead of paying the debt for sin ourselves, Christ paid it. The second Creditor was Satan. But, when Christ died on the cross to pay our sins, Christ defeated Satan. Notice these verses:
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Hebrews 2:14 (ESV)
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
1 John 3:8 (ESV)
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
These three verses, along with those from Colossians 2, give us an invoice marked “paid in full.” We can hold that invoice up to Satan, because not only does it say, “paid in full” in reference to our debt of sin, but it also reads, “totally set free.” We are free for Jesus has taken the debt and has disarmed the creditors (rulers and authorities of Satan) and put them to open shame, because God “triumphed over them” in Christ!!! We ought to live our lives as though we are free from the debt and and as though we are free from the devil!!
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