Ephesians 4:20-24 – The believers’ new lifestyle in Christ

Having dealt with the lifestyle to avoid, Paul then turned to help the Ephesians to look at their present lifestyle. He wanted them to know that they need not live like the Gentiles. For in Christ they have adopted a different way of thinking and a different principle of living. He wanted them to know that in Christ they have the truth to evaluate standards.

To have learned about Christ means knowing about His person, His character and His attributes which God had imparted through His apostles and teachers. In these verses, Paul’s implication is that if a person should go on living like the Gentiles, then that person has not truly known Christ. In fact, he has repudiated Christ.

Through the teaching about Christ. They were taught to put off the old self and lifestyle influenced by their past.  A lifestyle that is morally insensible and totally has no regard for the conscience. It’s a life of indulgence in all kinds of wanton, unclean practices without restraint.

Paul reminded the believers that in learning about Christ they were not taught to live that kind of lifestyle. This kind of practice would have no part in them if they have truly learnt about Him, for they would have appropriated the truth found in Christ.  

There were three things that they would have been taught to do. Firstly, as believers, they would have been taught that they had already put off the old man, the old man was the un-regenerated domineering flesh with all its sin nature. In that old nature and sinful state, they were being led about by deceitful lust. Now they had already put off that lifestyle with the nature of the old man.  

Secondly, they would have learned that they must continue to be renewed in the spirit of their minds. Like them, as believers we should also constantly be renewed in our minds by yielding to the Holy Spirit daily. This would allow the Spirit to renew us through the Word. This Spirit-filled, Spirit energized Word, would then guide us in what we ought to do and at the same time increase our desire and empower us to do it. As we exercise this daily, we find the strength to continually put off the conduct of the old man.

Thirdly, the Ephesian believers had been taught that in Christ they had also put on the new man. Their old nature had been washed clean in Christ’s blood, and they have become a part of Him. Thus, they were brought under His rule. Like the believers in Ephesus, we have also put off the old man and are being renewed in the spirit of our minds daily. Furthermore, we have also put on the new man created with a likeness to God in two specific attributes of His - the attributes of being righteous and truly holy.

We must take seriously what God through Paul is saying to us. We must reckon our old nature dead and not to pander to it. We must daily yield our mind to the Spirit and be renewed continually. We must seek to allow the Holy Spirit to empower our walk in the newness of life, made in Christ, to be righteous and holy.