EP 184: Putting Off the Old and Putting On the New (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Inside: Putting off the old and putting on the new is how we grow in Christ. Real change happens as we turn from sin, renew our minds, and walk with Him.

Woman writing in a journal with an open Bible on the table, spending quiet time in God’s Word.

In my last post, Killing the Sin of Selfishness, we looked at how easily our hearts can drift toward that “me first” mindset. Today I want to slow down and walk through how real heart change happens. If you’re anything like me, you’ve had seasons where you truly want to grow, yet you find yourself falling into the same patterns of impatience, irritation, or pride. God’s Word gives us a hopeful and practical pattern to help us keep growing in Christ.

I also want you to know that I’m walking in this right alongside you. I forget this pattern of putting off, renewing, and putting on far more often than I’d like to admit. Most of the time I only think of it after the fact. I can slip into trying to change in my own strength, and we all know that never goes well. So this isn’t just something I’m writing for you — it’s something my own heart needs too. I’m learning and growing right here with you.

Scripture gives us a simple, beautiful pattern for daily growth in Christ:

Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22–24, ESV

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Learning Christ, Not Just Learning About Him

A little earlier in this passage, Paul writes:

But that is not the way you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:20–21

I love that phrase “learned Christ.” Paul is not talking about learning facts. He is talking about knowing a Person. The Christian life is personal. We know Him, trust Him, and walk with Him. When we came to Christ, we didn’t just pick up new habits. We met a Savior. This whole pattern of putting off and putting on flows out of knowing Him and learning His ways.

Who We Are in Christ Comes First

The Bible never starts with “try harder.” It starts with what God has done.

We were spiritually dead, and God made us alive with Christ. Our identity is new. We are new creations with a living hope. We don’t obey to become God’s children. We obey because we are His children.

I’ve been spending time in 1 John, and I’m reminded again why John wrote it. His aim is to help believers walk in assurance. “I write these things to you who believe… that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The test is not perfection. It is a growing desire to walk in the light, obey His Word, and love others. Those marks don’t earn salvation. They simply show that the Lord is already at work in our hearts.

Remembering that we are in Christ and truly belong to God’s family helps us rest in His grace. And our assurance grows as we walk in obedience and see His fruit take root in our lives.

Grace trains us as much as it pardons us (Titus 2:11–12), which is why this pattern of putting off, renewing, and putting on is so helpful.

A Simple Pattern for Spiritual Growth

Paul lays the pattern out clearly:

Put off the old self
Be renewed in the spirit of your mind
Put on the new self

Colossians 3:9–10 reminds us that we really did put off the old self at salvation and put on the new, but we also live this out daily. Old habits don’t vanish overnight. The Lord calls us to keep turning from what belongs to our old life and to walk in the new life we have in Him.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones once compared the Christian to a slave who has been set free. She is truly free but still tends to think and respond as if she is not. That picture has helped me so much. In Christ we really are free, and day by day we are learning how to walk in that freedom.

Real change isn’t self-improvement but it is Spirit-empowered transformation.

Why We Need This Pattern

Sin curves our hearts inward. We want to be in charge of our own lives. The gospel frees us by uniting us to Christ and giving us a new heart. But the flesh still pulls at us, which is why Scripture calls us to put off the old and put on the new.

Paul reminds us that “the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). The Spirit takes what Christ accomplished and applies it to our hearts, giving us new desires, strength, and fruit. This gives us real hope for change. Not because of our willpower but because of His work.

How This Looks in Everyday Life

Most of our spiritual growth happens in ordinary moments. Here are some simple examples:

Marriage

Put off selfishness, bitterness, or criticism.
Renew your mind with the truth that Christ loved you and gave Himself for you (Ephesians 5:2).
Put on kindness, service, and encouragement.

Parenting

Put off irritation or the desire to control.
Renew your mind with the truth that God is sovereign over every interruption.
Put on patience, gentleness, and loving instruction. Pray before correcting.

Church and Friendships

Put off comparison or frustration in relationships that stretch you.
Renew your mind with the truth that the Father calls you to love as you have been loved.
Put on encouragement, prayer, and joy when others flourish.

Time and Priorities

Put off resentment when plans change.
Renew your mind with the truth that each day is a gift.
Put on flexibility and love people more than your plans.

Words

Put off complaining or sharp responses.
Renew your mind with Jesus’ words about the heart.
Put on gentle, truthful, timely words that give grace.

The Renewed Mind

Trying harder to “be patient” or “be kind” in our own strength never lasts. Real change happens as the Spirit renews our minds with truth (Romans 12:2). God’s Word exposes sin like a surgeon, but He cuts to heal. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).

A simple way to walk this out:

Name the sin.
Renew with truth.
Step into obedience.
Pray for help.
Reflect on where you saw grace that day.

Dependence, Not Perfection

This is lifelong work. Some days we stumble. We confess our sin, turn back to Him, and rest again in His grace. Jesus intercedes for us and strengthens us. Even our desire to change is His work in us.

John Newton expressed it well:

“I am not what I ought to be. I’m not what I want to be. I’m not what I hope to be in glory. But by the grace of God, I am not what I once was — and by His grace, I am what I am.”

A Simple Practice for This Week

Let’s take this to our everyday words.

Put off: complaining or sharp responses
Be renewed: meditate on Ephesians 4:29
Put on: one intentional word of grace to each family member today

Ask together at the end of the day: “How did we speak life today?”

Bringing It Home

Imagine a home where repentance and renewal are normal. Not perfect, but full of grace. Christ-honoring. People-loving. A home where the Spirit’s fruit shows up in ordinary moments.

As you go about your day, remember that holiness grows right in the middle of laundry, meals, and errands. Every small step of obedience is evidence of His work in you.

Let’s ask the Lord to help us put off, be renewed, and put on.

Jesus truly is enough.

10 Marks of the Holy Spirit in a Believer @Monergism
The Put On/Put Off Bible Study @Martha Peace
Ephesians MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Volume 20) by John MacArthur