"Why does the devil react in such a frenzy when Jesus dies on the cross?"

Question:

In the movie the Passion of Christ. Why does the devil react in such a frenzy when Jesus dies on the cross?

Answer:

Colossians 2:13-15 "And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. [15] He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing (grk: ‘Thriambeuo’) over them in him."                                                    

Verse 13 - indicates most of the Colossians are gentiles in need of baptism (Eph 2:11). Verse 14 - The bond is a list of charges filed against the sinful human family. Christ destroyed this legal certificate on the cross, when he canceled our debt of guilt and won pardon for our crimes. In this scheme, Jesus mounted the cross to bear the curses of the Old Covenant so that the blessings of the New could flow forth to the world (Gal 3:13-14). As a further benefits, Christ frees us from the ceremonial observances of the Old Covenant, which merely signified our need for salvation in the first place (Eph 2:14-16). Verse - 15 the reference to disarming the principalities and powers. These are legions of demonic spirits (Eph 6:12) that Christ conquered dramatically on the cross. Paul depicts this in terms of a victory march, recalling how the Roman Generals dragged prisoners of war through city streets to be disgraced and ridiculed after a successfully military campaign. Prisoners of War were displayed during the parade while these captives were led along in disgrace and sometimes executed at the end of the march. What this verse says is that the demonic powers are disarmed and disgraced by the conquering Christ like prisoners of war (Dr Hahn study Bible).

This is why in Exorcism or Deliverance a Priest will order the demon(s) to "go to the foot of the cross, so that Our Lord may do with you as he wills." The foot of the cross is where the battle was won.