How was Death Defeated

 Death was defeated at the cross... not eliminated. The works of death was destroyed at the cross.

If all enemies were subjected under his feet at the cross, then the writer of Hebrews was not informed when he said "But now we do not yet see all things put under him." [Heb 2:8]. 

If all things were not yet seen to be under Him, and death is the LAST enemy, then Death itself was not "eliminated" as you say.

The proper term in 1 Cor 15:26 is actually annulled or removed or nullified, that is the last enemy to be annulled is death.

It is also used in 2 Cor 3:14 where the veil was taken away or the veil was removed in Christ. It was used on Rom 6:6 which gives us clue... first we are crucified in Christ, so that the body of sin might be annulled.

Most doctrine can be cleared up if we were actually trained in the law. We keep saying Christ fulfilled the law, but most of us do not know the law enough to determine how it was fulfilled.

The law shows clear how Christ takes away sin in two steps (the Law of the two Goats) and how he takes away or deals with death also in two steps (the law of the two doves in cleansing leprosy. Leprosy represents death. The goats represent how sin is removed during atonement).

Each has a dying work, (first dove killed) and then the living work is established (the second dove)

This is how Christ deals with death.

Open your bible to Lev 14 and follow with me.

At the cross, the first dove is killed. When Christ died, all men died. Our death is covered by His Death. The results of Death from Adam is destroyed and no longer has a rightful claim to any man.

But not everyone lives yet.

Notice the living dove that was dipped in the blood of the dead dove is not released until the blood/ water mixture was sprinkled on the human.

Now in order for each man to live, and have the living work move from a death covering to a death annulling or removal, we must all be sprinkled or baptized, or buried in Him. This was done seven times, signifying a process until maturation or perfection is completed.

We are cleansed and sanctified through the word spoken to us. During this time we are covered. Righteousness has been imputed to us. We reckoned ourselves dead to sin. Enemies within us are being placed under his feet.

Then the living Bird, is released into the field. The living Glorified Christ, The Glory in us is released into the Field. The Glory being released from us, takes away all death. It removes it. This is our mortality putting on immortality.

My point to all of this is that you have to understand this dynamic, so that you cannot say Death was eliminated at the cross.

It is a two step process, a living work and a death work.

At an individual level, there is first a covering (death is defeated), then a sprinking (sanctification), then an abolishing (death removed upon glorification).

At a kosmos level, Christ shamed all principalities and powers, then the whole earth is baptized, that is the Kingdom keeps growing, and then finally an abolishing.. all enemies placed under his feet, all rule and principalities abolished, Death annulled.. God all in All.