" 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."
Colossians 2:9-15
In these verses Paul affirms the magnitude of the work of redemption. He affirms the facts, the truths of redemption which have been accomplished objectively, once and for all, in the Incarnation and Atonement of Christ. He affirms that the fullness of Christ, everything that He has accomplished objectively for us at the Cross, everything Christ has won, has become ours, subjectively, in the reality of personal experience, as we are united with Christ by faith. This redemption, in Christ, is pictured as a circumcision, as a radical putting off of the body of flesh/the old man in Christ's death (v 11). It is pictured as the death and resurrection of baptism (v 12). It is pictured as the forgiveness of sins and the cancellation of a great debt (v 14). It is pictured as a great victory over Satan and his demonic host (v 15) and, the apostle reminds us, all of this happened, in Christ, while we were yet sinners (v 13); 'This', says Paul, 'is the true apostolic tradition. This is the true philosophy. Become rooted and grounded in this: Plumb its depth. Savour its sweetness and its grandeur and as you do your heart and life will overflow with thanksgiving and praise to God and to His Christ and nothing and no one will be able to take you captive, neither the false and empty philosophies of men nor the elemental spirits of this world. For this Christ is head over every power and authority. He has disarmed them, triumphing over them and making a public spectacle of them in His Cross.'