Saved From the Power, Given the Power

The Word Behind "Delivered"

The Greek word carries the sense of rescuing from danger, of snatching someone out of the grip of an enemy. It is the language of a raid, not a negotiation.

The Finished Work — what Christ accomplished and completed — is the raid. The Kingdom of God — His rule, established and advancing — is the country you were moved into. The Authority of the Believer — the right and ability to stand and act in Christ's name — is the standing that comes with citizenship.

Think of a prisoner exchange. The man does not become free by degrees; the moment he crosses the line he is in another jurisdiction.

The Word Behind "Translated"

This is the stronger image. The word describes a transfer of a whole population from one realm to another — a relocation of citizenship and allegiance. It is used of transplanting a people.

Paul is saying that believers were not merely forgiven within the old kingdom. They were removed from it and settled in another, with a different king, a different law, and a different authority structure.

Have you ever thought of yourself as still living in the territory you were rescued from? What would change if you took your citizenship seriously?

Paul's prayer in the preceding verses tells us what he wants the Colossians to grasp: that they would be "giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12). Thanksgiving and authority belong together. A believer who has not thanked God for the transfer will still be trying to earn it.

Two Errors to Avoid

Error one: still a captive. Some believers live as though nothing happened at conversion — forgiven in principle, enslaved in practice. That contradicts the past tense.

Error two: still at war for freedom. Others fight for a victory that was already won, as if their struggle were the cause rather than the consequence. That contradicts the word "delivered."

The distinction could not be sharper. The captive asks for rescue again; the citizen takes up the responsibilities of the new country.

Why This Produces Boldness

Ephesians 2 makes the same move: "But God, who is rich in mercy... hath quickened us together with Christ... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4–6).

Sitting is not a posture of warfare; it is a posture of authority. A king sits to rule. A believer who has been made to sit with Christ speaks to darkness from a settled position rather than a scramble.

Luke 10 gives the practical outworking. The seventy returned rejoicing that the demons were subject to them, and Jesus did not rebuke their joy — but He redirected it: "rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). The authority is real; the citizenship is better.

What Changed at the Border

• Ownership changed. You are not the property of the old regime.
• Jurisdiction changed. The law of sin no longer has a claim on you.
• Assignment changed. You now represent a different government.
• Authority changed. You carry the credentials of the kingdom you belong to.

Peter states it as an identity: "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9). Every phrase is a citizenship term.

The Inheritance Is Among Them That Are Sanctified

Paul's commission to the Gentiles spells out what the transfer actually delivers: "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:18).

Four movements. Eyes opened, darkness left, authority changed, inheritance received. And note the means at the end: by faith that is in me. The whole transfer runs on faith, from first to last.

What This Means for You

1. Stop renegotiating a completed transfer. Repentance for a past failure, yes — but not re-imprisonment.

2. Learn the laws of the new country. Read the Sermon on the Mount and the epistles as the constitution of where you live.

3. Act on your credentials. Speak with the authority of your citizenship.

4. Expect the old regime to resent the loss. Resistance is a sign of what you left, not of whether you left.

5. Faith and wisdom live lawfully in the new kingdom. Wisdom asks whether a behaviour is fitting for a citizen, not merely permitted.

Putting It to Work This Week

• Write Colossians 1:13 on a card and read it before you begin any spiritual work this week.
• Name one area where you have been living as a prisoner rather than a citizen.
• Read Acts 26:15–18 and note the four things Christ sent Paul to do.
• Pray one prayer of authority rather than of appeasement.