Ephesians 4:22-24

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that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NKJV)

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (KJV)

throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV)

that, in reference to your former manner of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God's image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

Ephesians 4:22-24 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything — and I do mean everything — connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life — a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

The Old Man Is Not Who You Are Anymore

Paul uses the language of clothing: put off and put on. The old man is described as something external you can take off, not something buried so deep inside you that it can never be removed. The old man is the person you were before Christ, defined by the corruption that comes from deceitful desires. But in Christ you have already been made new. The new man is not aspirational. It is who you already are in Christ. What Paul is describing is the practical side of a spiritual reality that already exists. You do not become the new man by trying harder. You put on what has already been created in you through union with Christ.

The New Man Is Created in God's Righteousness, Not Built by Your Effort

The new man is described as something created, not constructed. Paul uses the Greek word ktisthenta, the same root used in Genesis for God's act of creation. The new self did not come into existence through your spiritual discipline or moral improvement. It was created by God, in His likeness, in true righteousness and holiness. This means the righteousness of the new man is not a goal you are working toward. It is the starting point. God created you in righteousness. The renewal of the mind is what brings your daily experience into alignment with what is already spiritually true about you.

Ephesians 4:22-24 is about identity, not behavior modification. The New Covenant does not take a sinful person and ask them to try harder. It creates a new person and invites that new person to live out of their true identity. Romans 6:6 says the old man was crucified with Christ. Colossians 3:9-10 says you have already taken off the old self and put on the new. The putting off and putting on in Ephesians 4 is the daily practical side of a completed spiritual reality. You are not becoming the new man. You are the new man learning to live like it. The mind is renewed not by willpower but by exposure to truth, which is why Paul connects the renewal of the mind to knowing Christ (v. 20-21).

Application for Your Life

Stop Identifying with the Old Man

One of the most practical things you can do is stop speaking of the old man as if it is still you. Saying "I am just an angry person" or "I have always struggled with this" treats the old nature as your identity. But Paul says to put it off. That requires seeing it as something separate from who you now are. When the old patterns rise up, you can address them from the outside: "That is the old man. That is not who I am anymore." This is not denial. It is agreement with what God says about you in Christ. Identity shapes behavior. When you know who you are, the old patterns lose their grip.

Renew Your Mind with What Is True About You

The renewal of the spirit of your mind is what connects spiritual identity to daily life. The mind is renewed by filling it with truth about who you are in Christ. Read what Paul says you are: righteous, holy, created in God's image, a new creation, seated in heavenly places. Meditate on those truths. Speak them. The mind that is filled with truth about the new man begins to think and choose from that place. The renewal is not a one-time event. The present tense in the Greek suggests it is ongoing and habitual. Renew your mind daily, and watch the daily choices follow.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I receive what Your word says about me. I have been made new in Christ. The old man was crucified with Jesus and I am not that person anymore. I put off every pattern that belongs to the old self. I am not going to agree with it or identify with it as if it is who I am. I put on the new man that You created in righteousness and holiness. Renew my mind today. Fill it with the truth of who I am in You. Let my thoughts, my words, and my choices come from that new identity. I am Your new creation and I live like it. In Jesus name. Amen.