Spoiled Principalities and Powers

Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

‘And having spoiled principalities and powers’ – Christ’s two conquests: [1] Abolished and cancelled the law by Blotting it out (2:14); taking it out of the way (2:14); nailing it to the cross (2:14). [2] Defeated the executors of the law by Spoiling or conquering them (2:15); making a show of them openly (2:15); triumphing over them in the very cross that they thought was a triumph over Him (2:15; 1:20-22; Acts 2:23-36; 3:13-18; 1Cor. 1:18-24; Eph. 2:16).

‘Spoiled’ [Greek: apekduomai] to strip off the clothes of another. Translated spoil (2:15), and put off (3:9). Here it means satan and his forces were stripped of their power to condemn and kill the race. The law was blotted out and they had no further claim to hold man in sin and bondage, as they did employ the law (Rom. 7:5-25).

‘Made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it’ [Greek: deigmatizo] to expose to public infamy and shame. The intensive form, paradeigmatizo, is used in Matthew 1:19 and Hebrews 6:6 of public shame. The allusion is to the custom of conquerors making a public demonstration of conquered enemies. Satan and his human agents made a public shame out of Christ by crucifying Him. By that they thought they would triumph over Him, putting an end to His new religion, but the cross turned out to be their public defeat and shame (2:15; 1:20-22; Acts 2:23; 3:13-18; 5:28; 1Jn. 3:8).