#1455. Put off your old self (18/3/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

From Ephesians 4:22, we see that we are called to be disciples - to learn from and live like Christ. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

1. You were taught

It is interesting to note that the word ‘disciple’ (Greek: mathētēs) means a learner. A disciple is someone who is learning to live like Jesus. The word apprentice is a good equivalent. Following Jesus is about both doctrine and lifestyle.

John Mark Comer writes:

‘To follow Jesus is to become his apprentice. It’s to organise your entire life around three driving goals:

1. Be with Jesus.

2. Become like him.

3. Do as he did.’

However, too often the call to follow Jesus is understood as everything and anything except faith and obedience. David Watson, quoting Jim Wallis in his book Discipleship, writes:

To be taught by Christ is not merely to gain information, but to be shaped, trained, and transformed by Him.

2. Called to  put off your old self

Specifically, Christians are taught, ‘with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…’ 

We read something very similar in Colossians:

This speaks of an ongoing activity. There is no complete victory over temptation this side of heaven. We must continually learn to recognise the patterns of the ‘old self’ and deliberately put them off.

We are not to pick up the stinking, unwashed clothing of our former lives.

I remember, as a child, finding an old pair of dungarees in some woods. Perhaps they had been left there by a builder years before. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to put them on and wear them home! That is how children behave.

In the same way, spiritual immaturity leads us to put back on the old clothing of our former lives. But in Christ, we have been given something new, clean, and life-giving to wear.

Response - Beware the deceitful desires of the old self

we are called to be disciples - to learn from and live like Christ. 

The ‘flesh’ - the part of us that pulls us away from Jesus and toward sin - seeks to deceive us. It lies to us:

“This unforgiving attitude is right…This lack of generosity is best…This unfaithfulness is good for you…This sexual attitude and sin is who you are and is healthy to express…”

These are not truths - they are deceptions!

We must be on our guard. The Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and Christian community are our great allies in this battle against the old self that wants to move back into the home of our souls.

Let us daily choose to put off the old life and to walk in the new life that Christ has given us.

Community Group Notes

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

Something that builds relationships and confidence to share; it’s good to regularly use this moment to ask the group: How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a healthy balance between discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued our series in Ephesians: To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God, focusing on Ephesians 4:17–24 and how we are to pursue the new life we have in Christ.

Please read Ephesians 4:17-24 and discuss:

1. Personal Reflection

• What stood out to you from Sunday’s message or this passage?

• Did the Spirit particularly impress anything on your heart?

Chapter 4 is taking us into application; having begun with how, as the body of Christ, we are to pursue unity and loving use our gifts to build one another up, he now insists we no longer live like those who don’t know Jesus. 

2. A new attitude to sex and relationships 

Verse 19, is about sexual sin - the reference to ‘greed’ is to be understood as having ‘an insatiable desire for more’. 

• Why is this especially important for us to hear in our culture?

• What does pursuing godliness in relationships look like in practice?

3. Be aware of deceitful desires 

• Verse 20, speaks of ‘deceitful desires’. Why must we not trust every thought or desire we experience?

• How do we learn to recognise what comes from the ‘old self’ - the flesh -  versus what comes from the Spirit?

4. Renewed minds by the Spirit

• We are  to pursue being ‘made new in the attitude (Spirit of) of your minds’;  how does dependence on the Spirit and personal effort work together for our transformation? 

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Put on the new self: How does our ‘becoming like God’ lead to our becoming a light in this world? 

• Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?