How To Take Off the Old, Put On the New

What does it actually mean to "put to death" the old self and "put on" the new? In this devotional, we dig into Colossians 3:5-11 and unpack Paul's powerful clothing metaphor — including the two lists of sins he refuses to let believers ignore, and the game-changing truth that our identity is now defined by who we belong to, not where we come from.

In this Bible study and devotional, we explore:

→ Paul's clothing metaphor: taking off the old self and putting on the new
→ List #1: The "big" sins Paul confronts — sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed (and why greed is called idolatry)
→ List #2: The "petty" sins we tend to dress up with better names — anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying
→ Why "I'm not angry, I'm just passionate" and "That's not gossip, it's concern" don't fool Paul
→ The sobering reality: Paul is writing to baptized, believing Christians — not pagans
→ Why right beliefs don't automatically produce right behavior (and what to do about it)
→ How this passage connects back to Genesis and being made in the image of God
→ What Colossians 3:11 actually means: "There is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free — but Christ is all and in all"
→ How our identity in Christ dissolves the walls that divide people
→ The daily, decision-by-decision work of being renewed in the image of our Creator

Key takeaway: "We don't earn the new clothes — we receive them. But we are expected to put them on. Is there something on Paul's list — anger, slander, impurity, lying — that you've been tolerating and explaining away? What would it look like to actually put that to death?"

Whether you're searching for a devotional on Colossians 3, a deeper Bible study on putting off the old self and putting on the new, or teaching on identity in Christ, this devotional offers a clear, honest, and hope-filled walk through one of Paul's most practical passages.

📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 3:5-11
🎯 Series: Colossians Devotional (Chapter 3)
⏮️ Catch up on previous parts if you're just joining us!
⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue our journey through Colossians 3

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💬 Drop a comment below: Which item on Paul's list hit closest to home for you today? What would it look like to actually put that to death?