He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:15)
During World War II, two famous days marked the defeat of Nazi Germany: D-Day and V-E Day.
D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the day Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. It was the decisive turning point of the war in Europe. From that moment on, Germany’s defeat was essentially inevitable. The power of the Nazi regime had been broken. The end of the war had been set in motion.
But the war did not end that day.
For almost another year, fighting continued. Soldiers still battled. Cities were still bombed. People still suffered. The enemy was mortally wounded, but the final surrender had not yet happened.
That final moment came on V-E Day, May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day. That was the day the war officially ended, and victory was publicly declared.
Many theologians have said that the story of the cross and resurrection works in a similar way.
At the cross and the empty tomb, Jesus won the decisive battle. Through His death and resurrection, He broke the power of sin, death, and the devil. Scripture says that through the cross, Jesus “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15). The enemy’s power was shattered. The decisive victory was won.
In that sense, the cross was D-Day… the decisive turning point in our war against sin and death.
But we are still waiting for V-E Day… the day that the war is officially ended and victory is publicly declared.
The world still feels broken. Sin still tempts us. Evil still seems active. Death still touches every family. The final victory of Jesus has not yet been fully revealed.
That day will come when Christ returns and makes all things new. On that day, every knee will finally bow in surrender, every tear will be wiped away, and the kingdom of God will be fully visible.
Until then, we live between the two victories… after D-Day, but before V-E Day.
That means something incredibly important for the Christian life. We are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory. The decisive battle has already been won by Jesus. Our task is to live in the reality of that victory, resisting evil, trusting Christ, and announcing His kingdom.
The enemy still makes noise, and he sometimes even wins battles, but his defeat is certain. Because of the cross, the end of the story has already been written. And one day, the whole world will celebrate the final Victory Day of the Kingdom of God.
Josh Rose
Family Pastor