Putting off the old man is refusing what no longer belongs to you.
Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Ephesians 4:22: “…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…”
Take a few minutes to read Ephesians 4:17–24.
The Christian life is often described as a journey.
Some days feel light and joyful; others feel long, difficult, and full of detours.
Yet through it all, one truth remains unshaken: we are saved eternally by faith alone in the gospel of grace.
We stand justified before God—not because of anything we have done or ever will do, but because of our identity in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose bodily from the grave.
But salvation is not the end of the journey.
It is the beginning.
As members of the Body of Christ, we are now growing in the knowledge of God’s wisdom and grace.
We are learning to live in a way that reflects the One who saved us.
We show the world a better way—a Spirit-empowered life marked by love, truth, and grace.
Yet, even though we are new creations in Christ, the old nature still lingers.
Its desires, impulses, and habits remain with us as long as we live in this mortal body.
Paul calls this lingering influence “the old man.”
This is the pattern of life we once walked in, shaped by the world, driven by the flesh, and corrupted by deceitful lusts.
Paul’s instruction is simple and clear: Put it off.
Not in your own strength.
Not to earn God’s approval.
Not to maintain your salvation.
But because that old way of life no longer belongs to you.
You are not who you used to be.
Your past does not define you.
The Law does not bind you.
You are not enslaved to sin.
You are not under condemnation.
You are in Christ.
Putting off the old man is not self-reformation.
It is not moral improvement.
It is not behavior modification.
It is the daily choice to refuse what Christ has already delivered you from.
As you walk worthy of the Lord (Day 15), you will find that the old nature still calls out through old habits, old patterns, old temptations, and old ways of thinking.
But you are no longer obligated to respond.
You have the Spirit. You have the truth. You have a new identity.
Life’s journey can be long, and the road is not always smooth.
There are potholes, steep climbs, and unexpected valleys.
But do not grow weary.
Each day is a new opportunity to live in light of who you truly are: a member of the Body of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and empowered by grace.
So today, put off the old man.
Put off the attitudes that try to define you.
Put off the habits that seek to control you.
Put off the desires that entice and deceive you.
And prepare your heart for what comes next:
“…and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
That is the work of Day 17.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Eph 4:22.
Meditation:
I put off the old man because I am already a new creation in Christ.
Reflection Question:
What part of your old nature is the Spirit inviting you to lay aside today?