Jesus not only conquered Satan and his forces, but He also “spoiled” them—He stripped them of all their power and authority. He also made an exhibit of them. That’s what the Greek word that was translated “made a shew” means (Strong’s Concordance).

The phrase “triumphing over” came from the Greek word THRIAMBEUO, and it means “to make an acclamatory procession, i.e. (figuratively) to conquer or (by Hebraism) to give victory” (Strong’s Concordance).

This Greek word was from a base that described what the Romans called “a triumphant procession” (Robertson’s Word Pictures). (The only other time this Greek word was used in the New Testament was 2 Corinthians 2:14.)

The Romans would take a conquered king or general and strip him naked, tie him to a horse or chariot, cut off his big toes and thumbs, and have a victory parade. This was to show all the Roman citizens that the one who had been a threat would never cause them any more trouble. If this man had any power, he would never allow such a parade. But he couldn’t hold a sword anymore or do anything but hobble.

This was what God did with the devil. He totally spoiled him, and Satan is void of any power or authority to oppress us anymore. But the problem is that much of the body of Christ has missed the parade. They don’t know Satan has been defeated. Sadly, many churches are the agent of Satan’s intimidation through their wrong teachings on his authority. We must show them this parade through the pages of the Scripture so that they will not live in fear of a defeated foe.

Andrew's Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Note 19
The word “spoiled,” used here, is the Greek verb APEKDUOMAI, and this Greek word means “to divest wholly oneself, or (for oneself) despoil” (Strong’s Concordance). One of the words that made up this compound Greek word means to strip. What Paul was saying was that Jesus totally despoiled or stripped Satan and all his powers. Satan is now naked and powerless. Praise the Lord!

This was a term used for the disarming of a defeated foe. “The picture is that of the triumph of a Roman general. When a Roman general had won a really notable victory, he was allowed to march his victorious armies through the streets of Rome, and behind him followed the kings and the leaders and the peoples he had defeated. They were openly branded as his spoils. Paul thinks of Jesus as a conqueror enjoying a kind of cosmic triumph, and in his triumphal procession are the powers of evil, beaten forever, for everyone to see” (Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians by William Barclay).

Satan’s only weapon against us is deception (see note 4 at Ephesians 6:11, note 23 at 2 Corinthians 11:14, note 32 at Colossians 1:13, and note 1 at Matthew 24:4).

Note 20
The word “shew” means “to exhibit” (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary). Satan and his forces are forever on display as a conquered foe. Those who know and believe this enjoy the show. Those who are not yet convinced of Satan’s defeat are still subject to bondage because of their fear (Hebrews 2:15).

The Phillips New Testament Bible renders this phrase as “he exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in his final glorious triumphant act!”

Note 21
What is the “it” that Jesus triumphed in over Satan? The answer is that “it” was the Law (“the handwriting of ordinances that was against us” – see note 17 at Colossians 2:14). The devil had used our failure to fulfill the Law as a club to beat us up and convince us that God would never accept us. In that sense, the Law was one of Satan’s greatest tools for separating us from God.

What Satan used to minister condemnation to us, Jesus used to condemn Satan. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law and used it to satisfy all God’s demands for justice by bearing man’s sins. The just died for the unjust and thereby liberated the unjust from the jurisdiction of the Law.