A Disarming Experience

Have you ever been caught so "red-handed" that there wasn't another word left to be spoken? You looked at them. They looked back. Maybe a sheepish grin tried to break across your guilty face. You were calculating the opportunities for recourse. Time passed. Thoughts were racing. Choices were considered. You were sure blood was draining from your very body.

I remember tossing my piano books where I thought no one could find them. I just hated to practice and I was sure if I had no books, then there'd be no need to practice. My mom kept replacing the books; they kept disappearing.  Then I was caught. The person who found out was somebody who could tell on me and I would be in such big trouble. It's at this point though, something happened. There was a feeling of no where to run and no place to hide. It's like being caught with a hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

One word for that feeling is "disarmed". Jesus publicly disarmed the rulers and authorities who were trying to judge Him so harshly. To "disarm" means "to unclothe or strip away knowing never to return." Of course, it wasn't physically taking away anything; this was spiritual. No longer could there be an inaccurate word held against Him. He left them without anything to say. Every accusation was stripped away.

Colossians 2:15 says "when he had disarmed rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." NASB

Earlier in Colossians 2 (verse 10), the writer reminds us that "in HIM we are made complete and He is the head over all rulers and authorities." The One who disarmed the enemy has us with Him! There need not be a fear of "discovery" of something in our past. Jesus nailed it to the cross and disarmed the accusers. They haven't got anything on us. We are in HIM!



Father, I remember that day of looking at the person who found out I was tossing out my piano books. Years later, they didn't remember. I did. I know the enemy understands he is disarmed. Remind me the enemy is only a talker. No power stands greater than Yours. The grave clothes of accusation are powerless - stripped away by the disarming work of Jesus!

Singing . . . come awake, come awake, come and rise up from the grave!