The Cross That Unclenched Every Fist
A single key turning a locked door, a quiet picture of the cross opening what fear closed.
Devotional Credit: In Christ, E. Stanley Jones, reflecting on Colossians 2:15
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones points us to the hill where everything changed. At the cross, Jesus did not simply suffer, He stripped the powers and made a public show of them. The dark authorities that trafficked in fear and accusation were disarmed. Their weapons were taken, their threats hollowed out.
Jones names the powers we all feel. The pressure of religious rule keeping. The pressure of the state and culture. Those forces pushed Jesus to a humiliating death. Yet He answered in a way none of them expected. He offered Himself. He turned sacrifice into victory. Love held fast, and love won.
This triumph does not float in the air. It reaches where we live. The same Jesus who rose above every ruler now lives in us by the Spirit. Condemnation loses its teeth. Shame loses its voice. The future is not in the hands of chaos. The future belongs to the Lord who broke the spine of evil.
I am thankful for how Jones lifts our eyes and then sets our feet on the ground. Conversion is Jesus’ conquest of the heart. We are gladly captured by mercy. From that place, we meet hard days with quiet courage. He lives, so we do not have to be ruled by fear.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am the Holy Spirit, and I dwell in you. I point you to the cross where the Messiah disarmed rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. I testify that through death He destroyed the one who had the power of death. I remind you that the Lord forgave all your trespasses and canceled the record of debt that stood against you.
I teach your heart to say, there is now no condemnation for those in the Anointed. I strengthen you to stand in the armor of God. I cause you to overcome the evil one because the word of God abides in you. I lead you to submit to God, resist the devil, and watch him flee. I give you power, love, and a sound mind.
I fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. I assure you that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. I make you strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. I fill your mouth with thanksgiving, your steps with readiness, and your days with hope that does not disappoint.
Real-Life Analogy
Picture a locked office door after hours. You jiggle the handle, push harder, and worry about the meeting you might miss. Then the custodian walks up with the master key, turns it once, and the door swings open. Your effort did not win the way in. The key did.
The victory of Jesus is that key. When anxiety clamps down, you might say, Lord, I trust You to turn the key of Your finished work in this moment and open what I cannot. Then send the email without drama, speak truthfully in the meeting, and refuse the spiral of what ifs. Let the Lord’s triumph set the tone while you walk through the open door.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that at the cross Jesus disarmed every accusing power. Thank You that my debt is canceled and that shame has no claim. Thank You that the Holy Spirit lives in me and trains my hands for gentle courage. I receive Your peace, I stand in Your strength, and I rejoice that today I walk in a victory already won.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Colossians 2:13-15. Hebrews 2:14-15. Romans 8:1-2. Ephesians 6:10-18. 1 John 2:14. James 4:7-8. 2 Timothy 1:7. Hebrews 12:2. Romans 16:20. Philippians 4:6-7. 1 Corinthians 15:57.