“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” (Eph. 4:22-24).

Our salvation in Christ must produce a change in our conduct (Titus 2:11-12). For those who are converted from the world, this change can be drastic and challenging.

Paul contrasts the old way of life with the new. He speaks of the futility of their minds (v. 17), the darkness of their understanding, and the blindness of their heart (v. 18). All their corrupt behavior came from this contaminated source (Prov. 4:23). Lasting change is not automatic. It is the result of teaching. Paul says they had “learned Christ;” they had “heard Him” and “been taught by Him” (vs. 20-21). This teaching caused them to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (v. 23). They learned new values and standards which gave them new priorities and goals. Life was no longer about serving self and enjoying the sinful pleasures of the world. It was now about pleasing God and walking in His truth.

This change also requires a renewing of the spirit of our minds. If the mind is the seat of our intellect (our ability to reason and understand), the spirit of our mind is our personality or individuality. It’s one thing to understand what is right but another thing to desire what is right. A phrase I used to hear was the one “has to get their ‘want-to’ fixed.” Jesus always did those things that pleased the Father (John 8:29).

Paul employs a figure to help us better grasp this change – putting off an old garment and putting on a new garment. However, real and lasting change requires more than simply going through outward motions. True conversion takes place in the heart. Real and lasting change can’t happen until we understand right and wrong, and desire to do that which is right. Out with the old way of thinking and in with the new. Off with old man corrupted with sin and on with the new man in righteousness and holiness. As we renew the mind, everything else will follow. Not overnight, but growth and change will take place.

In the verses that follow (Eph. 4:25-32), Paul sets forth some specific areas in our lives that must be brought in line with the standard of righteousness and holiness. In the weeks ahead, we will explore these in detail, helping us better understand how we “put on the new man.”