Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 4:22-24
…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Once we were prisoners of attitude, captured by negative traits that did not leave us no matter how hard we tried. For some of us, they were little foxes, invisible to others, but slowly eating at us from the inside. For others, they were elephants, big enough to cause us severe embarrassments, which they usually did. These negative attitudes–laziness, surliness, pessimism, anger, pride, a penchant for bitterness, etc–have put a lid on progress in certain areas of our lives. It is therefore good news to know we do not have to be in the perpetual grip of a negative attitude. We can take it off. Not only can we take it off, we can exchange it for the greatest attitude in the world – the attitude of Christ.
Our opening scripture enjoins us to put off the old man which grows corrupt… and put on the new man which has been created according to God. What this is simply saying is: if you have given your life to Christ, then your spirit has been recreated in the image of God, in true righteousness and holiness. In other words, you have a dual nature: the nature of the flesh, the old man, with all its negative habits and attitude; and the nature of the spirit, the nature of Christ. Whichever nature we choose to live by will determine our outcome in life. The choice is ours.
We can put off, like a garment, the old man, and put on the new man. How? By doing what our opening scripture enjoins us to do, which is, renewing our mind. We cannot change our attitude except we first change our mindset. You can defeat the attitude of the old man that holds you down by subjecting your mind to the Word of God on a continuous basis; by meditating in it day and night. There is no other way. To walk in the new man, we must walk by its code. God does not leave us to ourselves in this regard, but gives us the Holy Spirit to help us. Spend quality time fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit and studying the Word of God and watch yourself shed your old habits. Let today be a landmark and the beginning of a new dawn. Put on Christ today. Build a tombstone for the negative attitudes that have held you down and embarrassed you. Walk in the newness of life in the spirit. Bind the Word of God to your heart. Your change has come, in Jesus’ name.
Memorise & Meditate:
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts.” Romans 13:14
Prayer & Confession:
I make a fresh commitment to study the Word of God daily and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. I put off the old man and don the new man. I have been created in the image of God in true righteousness and holiness. Sin does not have dominion over me. I have the attitude of Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
