Colossians 1:13-14 – “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  NASB

The NKJV renders this, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His Love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”  I like both renderings and consider them both incredibly accurate and revealing. 

I know believers for whom the picture of their spiritual life is found in the old song, “Hold the Fort.”  They are waiting on Jesus to come on the Grand Rescue Mission and take them out of this troubled world where the devil is on the loose and they are barely hanging on.  Not, all feel that way, but some do. 

Therefore, I want to address what I believe is God’s Real Rescue Mission and it is described in the text above.  Whether you identify Salvation as being ‘rescued’ or ‘delivered’ it is clearly a divine act of the Holy Spirit to bring us into a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Through Grace and Faith, we are BORN AGAIN and that experience ‘transfers’ or ‘conveys’ us out of the devil’s dominion, authority, or power into God’s kingdom.  It is through the NEW BIRTH that we are transferred, transformed, or translated from one kingdom and rule to another.  Redemption through the forgiveness of sin.

From the time of Adam, in the Garden, until Jesus Christ man was under the dominion of the devil who had legal standing to dominate the lives of men.  Adam’s sin, the one who had been given dominion over the earth, transferred that authority or dominion to the devil.  Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and their choice to disobey God brought about the depravity of the race. 

Until Jesus and His work on the Cross, we were subject to the devil.  But, at the Cross Jesus cried, IT IS FINISHED!  That signified that He had broken the power of the devil and in a great sense completed His True Rescue Mission for mankind.  He purchased our salvation with His own blood and truly ‘bought us back’ allowing Him to legally transfer us from one kingdom to another.  HE RESCUED US!  He has opened the door for us to enter if we will.

Later in Colossians Paul gives us a clear description of what Jesus did and what happens in our redemption experience.  In Jesus, we are ‘made alive’ together with Him through the forgiveness of our sin.  His work on the Cross took God’s divine eraser and wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us.  He dismissed all the charges.  He expunged the record through His blood.  At the Cross, He took all that away and nailed it to the Cross.  His sacrificial death ‘disarmed’ the devil, his principalities, and his powers. 

But it goes beyond that, as Paul uses the imagery of a Roman General being awarded a Triumph. He would be placed in a special chariot and parade through the city with the spoils of his victory on display and his conquered enemies in chains walking behind him.  They were made a public spectacle as he triumphed over them.  That is what Jesus has done to the devil.  We must get that image in our minds.  He fully defeated the devil, broke his claim over man, and rescued us. 

If we understand the Victory of Calvary, we will quickly realize the power of the words, “We are more than conquerors through Jesus.”  We will quickly realize that it is now incumbent on us to Enforce the Victory of Calvary.  The devil can only intimidate he has no authority over us.  WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior!

In that light, why are we simply “holding the fort?”  Why are we simply trying to ‘endure to the end?’  Why are we not living Rescued and Delivered?  Why are we not enjoying the fullness of His Promises?  Why are we allowing the devil to continue to operate as though he were still in charge?  Why?  You have to answer that for yourself, but I pray that each of us determines in our heart that since we have been Rescued and Transferred, we will now live Delivered and Free!

God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!