Colossians 2:15

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of Colossians 2:15 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“having stripped the principalities and the authorities, he made a shew of them openly--having triumphed over them in it.”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo Colossians 2:15 — 21 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Genesis 3:15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
  2. Psalms 68:18You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
  3. Isaiah 49:24Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?
  4. Isaiah 53:12Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
  5. Matthew 12:29Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
  6. Luke 10:18So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
  7. Luke 11:22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.
  8. Luke 23:39One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”
  9. John 12:31Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
  10. John 16:11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
  11. John 19:30When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.
  12. Acts 2:23He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.
  13. Acts 2:32God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.
  14. 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
  15. Ephesians 4:8This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
  16. Ephesians 6:12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
  17. Colossians 1:16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
  18. Hebrews 2:14Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
  19. Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
  20. Revelation 20:2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
  21. Revelation 20:10And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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