Most people would say the word triumph means victory. They think triumph and victory are synonymous. But they are different; I want to contrast the two words.
A victory happens on the field of battle. It is accomplished in a certain moment of time, in some instances by the shedding of blood.
Example: we have a victory during a sports championship game. One team always comes out as the victor!
Triumph is a victory party, which happens a long time after victory. Example: Every year we celebrate a victory that was won over 200 years ago. That is the American War of Independence that was won in 1776. We have a national party and celebrate the fact that we are a free nation.
Triumph is a celebration; people celebrate victory by having a party.
Paul uses the word twice in his epistles (2Cor.2:14; Col. 2:15). In Roman times a triumph was a magnificent procession in honor of a victorious general, the highest military honor he could obtain. He entered the city in a chariot, preceded by the senate and magistrates, musicians, the spoils of his victory, and the captives in chains.
It was undoubtedly such a triumphal procession that Paul has in mind when he wrote, “thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us to triumph in Christ” (2Cor. 2:14).
The death of Christ on the cross is a victory. Jesus defeated the enemy, on the field of battle two thousand years ago. Paul is saying,”It is time to have a party.” The victory is over. We are to celebrate the victory and, we when we do that, we have a triumph.
Jesus disarmed (spoiled) principalities and powers (evil forces of Satan) by His victory. After the victory, He made a show of them openly. This was done for the entire universe to look at. Jesus was the conquering general.
If Jesus is in the chariot, where is the Church? Jesus is the Head and the Church is the Body. The body always goes where the head goes. The Church is also in the chariot!
Every day of your life you’re to celebrate the victory in Jesus. Satan’s strategy is to take Christians out of the chariot and put them on the sidewalk. This happens when we beg God to do something that Christ already did for us 2000 years ago. God took our pain and sickness and offers us healing and health at the cross. God took our poverty and offers us His abundance at the cross. God took the curse and offers us His blessing at the cross.
What do we do to inherit what God has given us? We have a party! It comes to the Church in our praise. When we praise God in the midst of the pain, that is when we have our inheritance.
