Our Triumph with Christ
While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son – Romans 5:10
2 Corinthians 2:14-16
But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.
Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.
To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
A Greater Triumph
On July 4, 2019, Washington, DC, hosted the “Salute to America” parade, a sweeping public celebration of the history, strength, and achievements of the United States. The event showcased the major branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. At the same time, military aircraft, including the B-2 stealth bomber, F-35 and F-18 fighters, and V-22 Ospreys, filled the skies in a dramatic display of national power.
The President of the United States described the occasion this way: “Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told: the story of America. It is the epic tale of a great nation whose people have risked everything for what they know is right and what they know is true. And it is the saga of thirteen separate colonies that united to form the most just and virtuous republic ever conceived.”
Public spectacles of victory were not exclusive to modern nations. In the first century, Roman rulers celebrated military victories with grand victory parades called Triumphs. These processions flaunted Roman strength, dominance, and supremacy to all who watched. Conquered foes were frequently paraded publicly through the streets as visible symbols of Rome’s success.
From Enemies to Children
It’s all too common to grow complacent in our Christian faith, forgetting the grim truth that we were once adversaries of God. The Scriptures paint a vivid picture of our arrival in the world: we were not merely distant from Him but genuinely alienated, bound in the chains of sin and at odds with His perfect holiness. Our separation was not merely a spatial distance; it was a deeper conflict, as we actively opposed Him and were ensnared by a sinful nature that rendered us captives. Even if we were blissfully unaware of our dire state, we were nonetheless subject to corrupt desires, unwittingly walking a path that led us straight toward sin and death.
All that changed at salvation. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God did more than just improve our lives; He rescued us and adopted us into His Forever Family. Ironically, because sin had taken us captive, to set us free, He had to conquer us and take us captive to Himself.
2 Corinthians 2:14 says: “But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us in Christ’s triumphal procession.”
Paul describes us as once-defeated enemies of the Father who are now being led in victory. He speaks of each of us, the children of the King. Our sinful natures once imprisoned us in sin, but through the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been freed from this terrifying bondage.
Our sinful proclivities have been conquered through the cross and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We no longer have to live in the prison of torment and guilt as slaves to our former slave master, the enemy of our souls. We have been emancipated and turned loose to live as free and forgiven children of our Father, the living God.
The Lord Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin and death. He has extended His victory to us. The Father God is the supreme conqueror, with Lord Jesus Christ as the commanding officer, leading the victory procession. We have now been “captured” by the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him joyfully.
Freedom Through the Triumph of Christ
But there is more!
Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 2:14: “Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.”
The Lord Jesus Christ has decisively conquered sin and death, and He graciously extends the blessings of that victory to those who follow Him. He now leads a triumphal procession of redemption, and those who have been conquered by Him no longer walk in shame, defeat, or condemnation, but in joy, gratitude, and triumph. What was once marked by bondage and loss has been transformed by His saving power into freedom and new life.
Paul’s imagery deepens this truth even further. We are not merely participants in Christ’s victory. We are the instruments through which the knowledge of Him spreads throughout the world. As the gospel is proclaimed and embodied in their lives, they become the living evidence of His triumph. Wherever Christ is faithfully made known, the fragrance of His presence is carried outward, a sweet and life-giving aroma that bears witness to His redeeming power.
REFLECT & PRAY
Without a doubt, I have lived way too much of my life as a prisoner of sin and an enemy of The Father.
Father, thank You for setting me free from the power of sin and for bringing me into the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You that I am no longer Your enemy, but Your child, forgiven and made new by Your grace. Teach me to live in the freedom Christ has purchased for me and to spread the knowledge of Him everywhere as a pleasing fragrance of life.
INSIGHT
The Meaning of a Roman Triumph
In the Roman world, no military distinction surpassed the honor of a Triumph. It was the highest public recognition a general could receive, reserved only for extraordinary victory and granted under strict conditions. The one receiving this honor had to be the commanding general in the field; the campaign had to end in decisive success; peace had to be restored; and the army had to return home in victory.
A Triumph was not awarded for a minor achievement or an indecisive outcome. It was the formal acknowledgment that a commander had achieved overwhelming success on behalf of Rome and had secured a result worthy of lasting public memory.
When a Triumph was granted, the event unfolded as a magnificent procession through the streets of Rome, moving toward the Capitol with carefully staged splendor. The victorious general rode in a chariot drawn by four horses, clothed in garments that reflected both honor and majesty: a purple tunic embroidered with golden palm branches and a purple toga decorated with golden stars. In his hand, he carried an ivory scepter topped with the Roman eagle, while a servant stood nearby holding a symbolic crown above his head. His family followed behind him, along with soldiers adorned with the decorations and honors they had earned in battle. As they advanced through the city, the streets became a theater of conquest, and the cry of triumph rose from the procession: Io triumphe!
The parade itself displayed the full meaning of Rome’s victory. The general and his officers were accompanied by the spoils taken in war, visible evidence of military success and imperial dominance. Captive enemies were led through the procession as living reminders of the defeated opposition. Priests carrying burning incense joined the celebration, filling the air with a distinctive fragrance that signaled victory, honor, and public rejoicing. Every part of the event was designed to communicate power, supremacy, and the complete defeat of Rome’s enemies.
The procession followed a designated route through the city and culminated in a grand public spectacle. For that reason, a Roman Triumph was far more than a mere parade. It was a dramatic and highly visible declaration that the battle had been won, peace had been secured, and the victorious ruler now stood above all resistance. It was both a political statement and a cultural symbol, proclaiming to the entire city that Rome’s power had prevailed and that its conqueror was worthy of glory, celebration, and remembrance.
Christ’s Triumphal Victory
This historical vignette provides a vivid and meaningful framework for understanding the Lord Jesus Christ’s triumphant victory.
He entered this fallen world as one stepping into hostile territory, confronting the powers of darkness directly. Through His cross and resurrection, He defeated Satan, broke the power of sin, and destroyed the hold of death. Yet unlike earthly conquerors, Christ did not secure His triumph by taking life, but by giving it. His victory was not expressed through destruction, but through redemption.
Acts 2:41: “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day, about 3,000 in all.”
Acts 4:4: “But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.”
The glorious triumph of Christ brought salvation rather than despair and opened the way for new life through the gospel. Beginning at Pentecost, countless men and women experienced the transforming power of His redemptive work. Their conversions served as compelling evidence of His victory, showing that Christ’s triumph was not merely performative but truly impactful in saving sinners and uniting them with God.
Those who had once lived in bondage to sin and under the dominion of Satan were redeemed by grace, reconciled to God, and welcomed into His kingdom. No longer defined by spiritual captivity, they were made new and gathered into a redeemed community marked by restoration, hope, and life in Christ.
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© Dr. H 2026
Dr H Reflections 