The Old Man

The Old Man

“That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts . . . .” Eph. 4:22.

We can ask, “How long should we wait before we follow this exhortation?” We realize that we must do this as soon as we are converted. Shall we put on the old man again afterwards—once in a while? It is evident that few people have a clear understanding of this point. They never come to the full assurance of whether they have put off the old man or not, and so they cannot give a clear testimony about it.

Man consists of spirit, soul, and body. The old man also has a spirit, a soul, and a body. What does this mean? In Ephesians 2:2 we read, “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” This is the spirit of the times. This is the spirit of the old man, which must be put off completely and without reservation at the time of conversion. This spirit has power over the unbelievers. Unbelievers use their power of reasoning, which leads them to think along the lines of how other people usually do things. They use their senses instead of believing God’s Word. We read further in verse 3, “Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

Our five senses are in the soul and we are of the earth, made of dust. 1 Cor. 15:47. We corrupt ourselves by the things which we know naturally. Jude 10. Therefore we have all gone astray. 1 Pet. 2:25. We have followed the will of the flesh and of the mind. The will of the mind—our human reasoning—is the soul of the old man. We must put off this soul and walk by faith in God’s Word, not relying on our senses.

We read in Colossians 2:11-12, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism . . . .” The body of the sins of the flesh is the body of the old man. We read in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world.” If we live according to the passions and desires of the flesh, our body will bear the marks of the sin in which we are living. If we are driven by the spirit of the times, we will have a worldly appearance, and by our appearance people will be able to see that we are not Christians. This is the body of the sins of the flesh—the body of the old man—which we can put off at our conversion, and baptism is a testimony to it.

We cannot put off the body of the sins of the flesh—the body of the old man—if we do not put off the spirit of the times and our human reasoning and begin to walk by faith instead. It is evident that many people hold back on this point, and their appearance testifies to the fact that they look up to what is modern and great in this world. Therefore Paul gave this exhortation, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” If we have put off the spirit of the times and our earthly mind, it must become evident by means of our body because we have been born again. Then we do not look as if we belong to this world. We live by faith, and then the spirit of the times cannot gain power over us by means of our senses—our human reasoning; rather, we prove what God’s will is.

The fact that we have put off the old man (the spirit of the times and our earthly mind, the soul—which is our human reasoning and the body of the sins of the flesh) does not mean that we do not have sin in the flesh and that we are not tempted by being drawn and enticed by our own desires. Jas. 1:14. It does mean, however, that we do not live according to them. It means that we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal. 5:24. It means that we put them to death, as Paul exhorts us to do in Colossians 3:3-5, where he writes to them and says: “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. . . . Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

We cannot give this exhortation to those who have not put off the old man, because they believe in their deceitful lusts. However, those who have put off the old man can take up this battle. Then this question arises: Is it possible for a person who falls in sin, to have put off the old man? Yes! Those who have not put off the old man do not fall in sin. They live in sin. It is precisely because we have earthly members that must be put to death that those of us who have put off the old man need to exhort and strengthen one another. We shall not gain victory over sin first and then put off the old man. We have to put off the old man first; then the fight of faith begins, and then we can gain the victory. In James 3:14 we are exhorted not to boast and lie against the truth. Everyone has to know for himself whether he has put off the spirit of the times and whether he lives by faith in God’s Word. If it is true, he has to see to it that it is visible that the body of the sins of the flesh is put off—the shame of Egypt is cast off, so that his appearance testifies of a Christian life and godly fear. Josh. 5:9.

Believing that you can have victory over sin without putting off the old man is deception. It will only result in a battle to keep up a good front.

You will never come to victory in that way. However, those who have truly put off the old man cannot but come to a life of victory over sin. The length of time it takes can vary, but all of them will experience Romans 6:22: “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to sanctification, and the end, everlasting life.”