Putting on the new man is simply living from the identity God has already formed within you.
Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Colossians 3:10: “… and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…”
Take a few minutes to read Colossians 3:8-11.
Yesterday, Paul taught us to put off the old man, meaning the habits, attitudes, and desires that belonged to our former way of life. Today, Paul tells us to put on the new man.
The “new man” is not a better version of your old self.
It is not self‑reformation.
It is not moral improvement.
It is not behavior modification.
The new man is who you already are in Christ.
Paul explains that this new man is “renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”
This means: The new man grows as you grow in the knowledge of God’s truth; reflects the character of Christ; is shaped by grace, not effort; is rooted in identity, not performance.
Ephesians 4:24 adds another layer:
“…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
Put these two verses together, and you see the full picture:
• Colossians 3:10 – the new man is renewed in knowledge
• Ephesians 4:24 – the new man is created in righteousness and holiness
Knowledge shapes your mind.
Righteousness shapes how you live.
Holiness shapes your heart.
Putting on the new man is simply living from the identity God has already formed within you. Putting on the new man means choosing to live in the identity God has already given you. It means letting the truth of who you are in Christ shape the way you think, speak, and act.
Paul gives practical examples in Colossians 3:
• put off anger, wrath, malice
• put off filthy speech and deceit
• put off the old habits that once defined you
And then:
• put on compassion
• put on kindness
• put on humility
• put on patience
• put on love, “the bond of perfection.”
This is not a call to imitate the world or reform society.
It is a call to live together as one Body, according to the instructions given to Paul by the risen Christ.
We are not called to fulfill Israel’s Great Commission. We are called to live out the unity and grace given to the Body of Christ.
When the Body lives this way, when we put on the new man together, we show a different way of life to a world filled with corruption and confusion.
We become a living testimony to the power of the gospel of grace.
So today, put on the new man.
Put on the character that reflects your position in the Body of Christ.
Put on the attitudes that flow from grace.
Put on the life God has already created within you.
And tomorrow, we will see how this happens:
“…be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
That is the work of Day 18.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Col 3:10.
Meditation:
I put on the new man by living in the identity God has already given me in Christ.
Reflection Question:
What qualities of the “new-man” is the Spirit inviting you to “put on” today?