I haven't heard that phrase before, so after looking around a bit, it seems to turn up in Orthodox services quite a lot, even in one funeral I found. Here is one example of something one priest says during the MATINS ON THE HOLY AND GREAT SUNDAY OF PASCHA:
"CHRIST is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life.
Without knowing its established meaning, my impression of this is that the physical death of Jesus tramples down the Spiritual death of us, His children, past, present, and future. If that is pretty close, then I do agree. So, Christ used the evil done against Him, which He did not create (but did allow), to save (I would say "pay for") us against our own sins, which He did not create.
I would add that none of this could have been by accident. Since we all seem to agree that none of us is up to the task of following the Law perfectly, then no one is saved without the work of Christ on the cross. Therefore, God must have ordained everything that was to happen if anyone was going to be saved. Christ knew every detail of what was going to happen to Him.
"CHRIST is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life.