Tag Archives: Ephesians 4:22-24

Putting off and putting on

 

“Whatever you do, don’t let that ball get by you!” That was the advice of the not-so-helpful parent to their child who was goalie at the soccer game. The trouble is, when we focus exclusively on what we’re not to do, we often end up doing that very thing! The better advise would be to ‘watch the ball.’ In order to stop doing one thing we need to start doing another.

 

Isn’t that true with other things in life too? Whatever bad habits we have, we try to stop them, telling ourselves, “Don’t do this, don’t think about that.” While it’s true there are some things we have to put off and cast aside, isn’t it better to think on what we’re going to put on?

 

For example, you could tell yourself that you’re going to be less critical of others, but pledging to yourself to be more loving and accepting will more effectively overcome a critical nature. What if today you decided you were going to approach everything and everyone (including yourself) with the loving heart God gave you? You won’t be perfect at it; I won’t either. But the more this is our focus, the more it becomes who we really are.

 

The same goes for being thankful. Determine at the beginning of the day that you are going to find reasons to be thankful in (not for) every situation, and you will find yourself reflecting thanksgiving. It won’t happen all at once, but it will grow in you, and over time it will define who you are. And have you ever noticed that as real thankfulness grows, so does peace? Not surprising as that’s exactly what Paul said. The thing about putting on virtuous thoughts and behaviors is that they tend to build on each other.

 

Focusing on ‘putting on’ virtue and not just ‘putting off’ sin is a winning approach. But you can’t do it alone and neither can I. To be good at this, to have this become embedded in our character, we need to stay close to God . . . all day long, moment by moment. It won’t work to just say a prayer for strength in the morning and then fight the battles on our own.
God’s design is that we have such a relationship with Him that it’s just natural to include Him in all our struggles and joys. Keep pressing in, moment by moment, trial by trial. His promises are true and He’s waiting right now to help you ‘put on’ love, peace, joy, and so much more.

 

“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.” Ephesians 4:22-24

 

Battle for the mind

What trials have you faced or are you now facing that pose a battle for the control of your mind? Is it a serious illness, the grief that accompanies a serious loss, a deep disappointment with how life has turned out, a continual longing for satisfaction that always escapes you, or a temptation you can’t seem to escape? Each of these and others affect the way we perceive and respond to our circumstances. Unattended and unresolved, they influence how we perceive ourselves and lead us to question our very identity and how we perceive and respond to others and to God.

This is the spiritual battle for the mind. It is a battle we will each fight all our life. But although we enter the battlefield each day, it is not God’s intent that we are defeated by it. On the contrary, although we won’t fully escape the battle until he calls us home to heaven, he equips us to overcome the battle while we live now. He desires us to experience victory and abundant joy each day, even as we face our battles.

But if we ignore or neglect the tools God gives us to fight the battle, we bring even more distress to our minds, and confusion that prevent us from experiencing victory over the struggles that confront us. In absence of relying on God, we trust in our own abilities or we wallow in self-pity, so consumed by the wounds we experience, we find no strength to seek the healing touch of the great physician.

What are we to do in such a daily and life long struggle? First, we need to remind ourselves that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood…but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) Your fight is not with your spouse or child or coworker, it is against evil forces that war against healthy relationships. If we want to live a victorious life, we must be aware of this reality so we can be vigilant of the real dangers before us. We have to know the enemy before we can defeat them.

Second, we have to equip ourselves with God’s tools for surviving the battle. How foolish it would be to walk into a real battlefield without protective armor. “Put on the full armor of God.” The armor includes truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Word, and salvation. (Ephesians 6:11-18) “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) Let’s not idly walk into minefields unaware of their danger.

Third, we have to renew our minds daily. “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” Romans 12:2 “Put off your old self. Be made new in the attitude of your minds. Put on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

The daily battle may rage on. Trust God and you will be able to stand firm, and victorious!