Put Off the Old Self, Put On Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Haymakers and Hardened Hearts

The crowd gasped as Blaylock’s fist struck his own jaw. His attempt to destroy his opponent became self-destruction. Paul warns the Ephesians: sin starts as a thought, hardens the heart, and ends in slavery. Like Blaylock, many believers swing at temptation only to knock themselves out through self-reliance. The Gentiles walked in “futility of mind,” chasing empty desires that left them calloused. [40:56]

Sin’s spiral begins with compromised thinking. Darkened understanding isn’t ignorance—it’s choosing lies over light. Every rationalization, every “harmless” compromise, deadens the conscience. Paul traces this path: futile thoughts → hardened hearts → surrendered lives.

You’ve felt sin’s numbing effect. That habit you once resisted now feels normal. Jesus offers renewal, but first you must name the patterns. What thought-loop have you tolerated that’s dulling your sensitivity to God?

“They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”
(Ephesians 4:18, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to expose one thought-pattern that’s hardening your heart.

Challenge: Write down a recurring sinful thought you’ve normalized. Burn or tear it up tonight.

Day 2: Unwrapping Lazarus’ Grave Clothes

Lazarus stumbled from the tomb, alive but bound. Jesus didn’t stop at resurrection—He commanded, “Unbind him.” The grave clothes symbolized Lazarus’ past; the strips had to go. Paul echoes this: “Put off your old self” (Ephesians 4:22). Like Lazarus, believers often walk in new life while clutching death’s remnants. [01:03:18]

Grave clothes restrict freedom. They’re not just “bad habits”—they’re identities Christ shattered. That bitterness you nurse? That shame you rehearse? They’re linen strips from a corpse. Jesus declares you clean, but you must discard what hinders your walk.

What binds you today? A grudge? A secret sin? A lie you’ve believed? Jesus’ power broke death’s grip—why let rags trip you? What grave-cloth will you remove this week?

“He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips.”
(John 11:43-44, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one “grave cloth” you’ve refused to remove.

Challenge: Throw away one physical item tied to a past sin (e.g., delete an app, discard a memento).

Day 3: Rats in the Cockpit

A pilot ascended until the rat gnawing his wires suffocated. Paul urges: “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23). Just as altitude killed the rat, elevating your thoughts starves sin. The battle isn’t behavior—it’s focus. [01:06:41]

Satan distracts with low-altitude worries: gossip, lust, resentment. But fixating on Christ’s supremacy crowds out vermin. You can’t dwell on Philippians 4:8 and rehearse grievances simultaneously. Renewal means replacing, not just resisting.

What mental rat thrives in your cockpit? Name it. Then climb: open Psalms and shout a praise verse when that thought attacks. Will you ground your mind in heaven today?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
(Romans 12:2, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for a specific truth about Him that counters your struggle.

Challenge: Replace one negative thought today by writing a Bible verse on your palm.

Day 4: Johnny Cash’s Broken Vow

Johnny pledged to “walk the line” for Vivian but faltered. Paul charges believers: “Walk no longer as Gentiles do” (Ephesians 4:17). The Ephesian converts knew pagan lifestyles; their new identity demanded new rhythms. Walking implies direction—not perfection, but persistent alignment with Christ. [48:45]

Your walk reveals your master. Each step—conversations, media choices, reactions—testifies: “I belong to Jesus.” Stumbles happen, but the trajectory should trend toward holiness.

Where does your daily walk still resemble your pre-Jesus days? Which path will you reroute today: your commute conversations, your lunchbreak habits, your bedtime routine?

“I...implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
(Ephesians 4:1, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one daily routine needing realignment.

Challenge: Adjust one habitual action today (e.g., pray before scrolling, listen to Scripture during your commute).

Day 5: Robes Over Rags

Lazarus traded grave clothes for resurrection robes. Paul concludes: “Put on the new self, created after God’s likeness” (Ephesians 4:24). This isn’t self-improvement—it’s wearing what Christ tailored. The new self fits righteousness; the old rags chafe. [01:09:56]

Righteousness is your uniform. When tempted, declare: “This doesn’t fit who I am.” Holiness feels foreign at first, like stiff new shoes. But each Christlike choice softens the leather.

What “rag” have you mistakenly kept as a backup outfit? Will you dress today in the identity Jesus purchased?

“Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
(Ephesians 4:24, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for making you fit to wear His righteousness.

Challenge: Perform one act of kindness that reflects your “new self” (e.g., encourage a coworker, serve a neighbor).

Sermon Summary

Ephesians 4 exhorts believers to live in the reality of the new identity secured by Christ. The text contrasts the futility of the old life with the transformative power of union with Jesus, showing that salvation brings resurrection life and calls for decisive change. Sin begins in the mind, moves into the heart, and then into actions; unchecked, it darkens understanding, hardens the conscience, and leads to habitual surrender. The passage calls for three concrete responses: put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new self formed after God’s likeness. These commands flow from grace: acceptance in Christ precedes transformation, so believers are not urged to earn acceptance but to live out the identity already given.

Illustrations sharpen the teaching. A boxing story warns against fighting sin the wrong way and exhausting oneself by repeating failed tactics. The Lazarus account clarifies that God gives life first and then expects the grave clothes to be removed; resurrection enables freedom, but the freed person must discard the rags of the past. Practical pastoral counsel stresses that the mind is the battlefield: thoughts determine direction, and deliberate thought-training toward what is true, honorable, and pure breaks the cycle of downward drift. The new self embodies true righteousness and holiness, not self-made morality but God‑created renewal enacted through the Spirit. The sermon closes with an appeal to respond to Christ’s rescue: receive life if not yet given, and if alive in Christ, stop fighting a foe already defeated and begin living as one new in Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Put off the old self Believers must decisively remove patterns and practices tied to the former life because those habits belong to a dead identity. The command to "put off" is categorical, not optional, and implies wholesale removal rather than management or disguise. Leaving the grave clothes behind honors the reality that Christ has already dealt with sin’s power. [47:04]
2. Live from union with Christ Christian transformation begins with relationship, not rule keeping; identity in Christ changes motives and orientation. Being "taught in him" means life flows from a personal union that reorders desires and decisions. This makes obedience an expression of belonging instead of a means to earn acceptance. [58:17]
3. Renew the mind every day Thought life shapes behavior, so the mind must be intentionally reoriented toward heavenly things and truth. Capturing and re-directing recurrent thoughts dismantles sin’s deceptive arguments and opens space for new habits to form. Regular training of attention produces spiritual momentum more durable than mere effort. [66:21]
4. Put on the new self The new self is God’s workmanship, marked by righteousness and holiness, and requires active adoption of new practices. Putting on the new self means dressing intentionally in Christlike character rather than patching up old impulses. This garment signals a restored likeness to God and a life set apart for his purposes. [69:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[40:31] - Boxing illustration: a stark warning
[42:55] - Identity series: who are you?
[45:25] - Reading Ephesians 4:17 and context
[47:04] - Put off the old self
[50:40] - The downward spiral of sin
[57:48] - Relationship replaces mere information
[62:01] - Lazarus: resurrection then unbinding
[66:00] - The mind as a battlefield
[69:00] - Put on the new self
[70:54] - Living from victory and invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Ephesians 4:17-24 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 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, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 4:17-19, what is the downward progression of sin’s effects on a person’s life?
The sermon compared Lazarus’ resurrection to the process of sanctification. What specific action did Jesus command after Lazarus came out of the tomb, and why is this significant? [01:03:18]
What three commands does Paul give in Ephesians 4:22-24 to describe the process of transformation?
How does the sermon contrast the futility of the old life with the power of union with Christ? [58:17]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize the renewal of the mind as central to putting off the old self (Ephesians 4:23)? How does this connect to the idea that “sin begins in the mind”?
The sermon states, “Salvation brings you out of the grave. Sanctification takes the grave out of you.” What does this mean in light of Lazarus’ story and Ephesians 4:22-24? [01:04:06]
How does the phrase “created after the likeness of God” (Ephesians 4:24) redefine the motivation for holiness compared to self-made morality?
The sermon warns against “fighting sin the wrong way” like the boxer who knocked himself out. Why is relying on human effort alone ineffective for overcoming sin? [42:01]

Application Questions

What “grave clothes” (old habits, thought patterns, or attitudes) are you still wearing that contradict your new identity in Christ? What practical step can you take this week to “unbind” one of them? [01:04:21]
The mind is called a battlefield. What recurring thought or lie have you struggled to take captive? How can you intentionally replace it with truth from Scripture? [01:06:21]
The sermon says, “You don’t have to keep swinging at an enemy that’s already been defeated.” Where have you been exhausting yourself fighting sin in your own strength instead of resting in Christ’s victory?
Paul commands believers to “put on the new self.” What specific Christlike characteristic (e.g., patience, kindness, integrity) do you need to actively “dress in” this week? How will you practice it?
The boxing story illustrates repeating failed tactics. What is one ineffective way you’ve tried to overcome a sin pattern, and how can you shift to relying on the Spirit’s power instead? [42:01]
How can you intentionally “set your mind on things above” (Colossians 3:2) daily? Consider practical habits like Scripture memorization, worship music, or redirecting thoughts to gratitude.
Who in your life can help you identify and remove “grave clothes” you might not see? How will you invite them into this process?

Sermon Clips

36s

#FreedomFromTheGrave

“Salvation brings you out of the grave. Sanctification takes the grave out of you. And listen, some of you here are here today who are alive Christ, but you're still wrapped up in some things that belong to your old life. Old habits that keep showing up, old thought patterns that keep replaying, old attitudes that still shape your reaction, old sins that you've learned to manage instead of remove. And what do these things do? Well, they restrict us. They limit our spiritual growth. They keep us from walking in the freedom that Jesus has purchased for us.”

37s

#FaithIsTransformation

“Christianity is not about information. It is about transformation. It's not about facts or knowledge. Knowledge. It's about a relationship. You you you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, but when you do, from that point on, you have a relationship with Jesus. So when Paul says you learn Christ, he means the whole direction of your life has been changed by union with him. You come to know the one who has raised you from spiritual death, and it is a decision that only you can make. You cannot have somebody else make that decision for you.”

33s

#RemoveTheGraveClothes

“Now listen, Lazarus didn't raise himself. Jesus did that. But Lazarus didn't stay wrapped up. Those grave clothes had to come off. That's exactly what Paul is telling us here. You didn't save yourself. Jesus did that. You didn't give yourself life. Jesus did that. You didn't make yourself new. God did that. But now you are responsible for what you wear. Take off the grave clothes. Stop putting on what the Lord has told you to take off. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Put on the new self. Listen.”

36s

#DeadToSinLiveFree

“Come to Jesus, trust in him, and be made new. And if you are a believer here today, hear this, you don't have to throw another roundhouse punch trying to knock out sin. Jesus has already dealt with it at the cross. The fight is over. We need to get this truth into our minds and keep it there. You are dead to sin, and sin is dead to you. Don't let it keep you from the from the finished work that Christ has given you. Jesus died to give us peace. He died to give us life, hope, and joy. And that means when we're tempted, it's a temporary condition. It's not our identity.”

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Put Off the Old Self, Put On Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Haymakers and Hardened Hearts

Day 2: Unwrapping Lazarus’ Grave Clothes

Day 3: Rats in the Cockpit

Day 4: Johnny Cash’s Broken Vow

Day 5: Robes Over Rags

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Put Off the Old Self, Put On Christ

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