You Didn't Start This.
But You're In It. Part 4
Pastor Carl Toti
Weekend of October 3–4, 2026
SCRIPTURE
Colossians 2:13–15 (NLT)
Key Scripture:
“In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his
victory over them on the cross.”
— Colossians 2:15
REFLECTION
Picture a man named Ray. He spent nine years in prison for something the evidence eventually proved
he never did. Then one Monday morning a judge signed the order: conviction vacated, every charge
dismissed, “This man is free.” Ray walked into the sunlight. But somebody forgot to call the monitoring
company. The band on his ankle kept buzzing, and a voice kept reading a script about an old sentence.
Ray was free on paper and bound in practice. That is how some Christians live. Heaven has closed the
case, yet something from the old system still buzzes. But a buzzing monitor cannot overturn a judge’s
verdict.
THE HEART OF IT ALL
Three promises. Life—but you may only be breathing. Liberty—but you may still be in Egypt.
Happiness—but you may still be chasing the car. Every one of them was made on parchment by men
who are dust now. But there was another document, written not in ink but in blood—and it didn't
merely declare your rights, it purchased your life.
The chase is over. The catch is here. And His name is Jesus.
One — The Judgment, Not the Tragedy
John 12:31
At Calvary it looked as though the world was putting Jesus on trial. In truth, God was putting sin on
trial, and Jesus stepped into our judgment and bore what should have fallen on us. Satan is not God’s
equal. He is a usurper who rules a fallen system through deception, accusation, and the fear of death. In
the ancient world, the charge against a condemned man was fastened above his head. Paul says our
charge sheet was nailed up there with Jesus. And when He cried, “It is finished,” He used the very word
written across a debt when the balance was paid in full. Satan was decisively defeated at the cross, is
resisted now in Christ’s power, and will be removed when Christ returns. He is a man who has been
sentenced and is still walking around in the parking lot.
BIG TAKEAWAY:
The cross is not where evil won a round. It is where evil lost the war. The verdict stands.
Two — The Triumph
Colossians 2:15
In Paul’s day, a general who won a great victory was granted a triumph. The city shut down. Trumpeters
led the way, then wagons of plunder, then the conquered king and his generals in chains, stripped of
crowns and robes. Behind them, high in a golden chariot, came the general. Paul says that is what
happened at the cross. Jesus did not simply beat the rulers and authorities. He stripped them of
everything they used to terrify you: the armor, the authority, the accusation. He did it boldly, in the open,
where the whole universe could watch. Rome used the cross to say, “This is what we do to enemies.”
Jesus took that instrument of humiliation and made it His chariot.
BIG TAKEAWAY:
On the cross it was not Christ who was stripped and humiliated. It was Satan and his forces. Some
Christians live beneath their victory because they are more impressed with the enemy than with
the cross.
Three — The Fragrance
2 Corinthians 2:14
In a Roman triumph, incense filled the streets. The victory had a sight, a sound, and a smell. Paul says
we are now the fragrance left behind by the victory of Jesus. Think of walking into a restaurant in your
best jacket while someone nearby orders sizzling fajitas. You never ordered them, but forty-five minutes
later you smell like a combination plate. You were close enough that it got on you. If you have been
close to Jesus, something should get on you. Your marriage, your workplace, your attitude, and your
home ought to smell different. Jesus did not bring you into His victory so you could watch the parade.
He intends for you to carry its fragrance everywhere you go.
BIG TAKEAWAY: The question is no longer, “Did Jesus win?” The question is, “Can anybody smell His victory on
you?”
So stop living as though the enemy still has a case against you. The verdict has been rendered, the debt
is canceled, the powers are disarmed, and the parade has already begun. You are in it.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that the cross was not Your defeat but Your public victory. Thank You for
canceling the record of every charge against me and nailing it to the cross. Where an old sentence still
buzzes in my mind, silence it with the truth that I am forgiven, clean, and free. Open my eyes to see the
enemy stripped and You enthroned. Forgive me for being more impressed with the accuser than with
Your cross. Holy Spirit, fill my home, my work, and my relationships with the aroma of Your grace. Let
people be near me and know that I have been near the King. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
ACTION STEPS
• Name the buzzing. Write down one accusation or old sentence you have been living under. Next
to it, write “Canceled at the cross.” Speak it aloud this week whenever it returns.
• Walk in the parade. Choose one place this week (your home, your workplace, your school) and
decide how you will carry grace, peace, or courage there on purpose.
• Spread the fragrance. Encourage, forgive, or serve one person this week in a way that points
them to Jesus.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Where am I free on paper but still bound in practice? What “monitor” keeps buzzing in my life?
2. Am I more impressed with the enemy or with the cross? What would change if I truly believed the
powers were stripped?
3. If someone spent a week around me, what would they smell: the victory of Jesus, or something
else?
4. Who in my life needs to encounter grace and peace from me this week?
NOTES & JOURNALING
What is God saying to me through this message?
The accusation I am laying down:
Where I will carry the fragrance this week:
Prayers & reminders:
If today’s reading stirred something in you, don’t file it under “later.” Take the next step today. Read more devotionals, sermon resources, and ways to connect with our church family at our website — the link is below.
