You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires… —Ephesians 4:22.
Today, Paul reminds us that we surrendered our hearts to God. Our old selves were crucified with Christ when we became Christians (Romans 6:6). Jesus reminds us that this kind of surrender is something each of us should do daily (Luke 9:23). We need to put the old sinful life aside every day — “put off your old self” — and choose to live for Jesus in response to God’s grace. Why is this “putting off” so important? Because our way of life before being united with Christ was full of sinful influences and the deceitful desires that the evil one seeks to reawaken in us. So, as we begin this new year, let’s make it our spiritual habit to consciously offer ourselves to the Lord daily as we seek to live joyously under his lordship.