Walking as a New Person
Month 7: Who Am I? · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Ephesians 4:22-24
22 to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Memory Verse
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!”— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Nehemiah 1-4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Nehemiah hears Jerusalem's walls are broken down, prays, and leads the people to rebuild — with the Spirit's help and against opposition.)The Heart of It
Two days ago we learned that in Christ we become a brand new creation. But every kid asks an honest question, and grown-ups do too. If I'm already new, why do I still sometimes feel and act like my old self? Paul answers with a picture of getting dressed. He says to "put off" the old self like dirty, smelly clothes you've outgrown. And he says to "put on the new man" like a clean outfit that actually fits who you are now. Becoming new is something God did in a moment, when you trusted Jesus. Walking as new is something the Holy Spirit helps you live out every single day. The new creation is the fact. Getting dressed in it is the daily habit.
And here is the freeing part. You don't do this by raw willpower. Look at the middle of the passage. It says, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer. He is the One who changes how we think, and He gives us the power to choose the new way. We aren't gritting our teeth and white-knuckling our way to goodness. We are working together with God's Spirit, who is gently growing His fruit in us. That fruit is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness (). Each morning you can pray, "Holy Spirit, help me take off the old way of acting and put on Jesus today." You won't do it perfectly, and that's okay. God is patient. Walking as a new person is a journey, and the Spirit walks every step with you.
Around the Table
Just like we take off pajamas and put on day clothes, the Holy Spirit helps us. He helps us take off grumpy, mean ways and put on kind, gentle ways.
Let's do it: Pretend to take off an itchy old sweater. That's the old me. Now put on a comfy new one. That's the new me! Ask the Spirit to help you wear kindness today.
Paul says we already ARE new in Jesus. But we still have to put on the new way each day. Why can't we just do it perfectly the first time?
Let's talk: What's one "old clothes" habit you want the Holy Spirit to help you take off this week?
Notice the order. "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind" comes right between putting off the old and putting on the new. Real change starts with how we think, and it's powered by the Spirit. It's not just about tweaking our behavior.
Let's go deeper: Where do you rely on willpower alone and burn out? What would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit into that struggle instead?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's an old piece of clothing you've outgrown that just doesn't fit you anymore?— Some old habits are like that too. They don't fit the new you in Christ.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Someone might say, "Christians are just hypocrites. They still mess up." We can honestly agree that we're not perfect. Then we can explain the difference. A Christian isn't someone who has already arrived. A Christian is someone being changed by God's Spirit, daily putting off the old and putting on the new (). Real change in progress is more believable than fake perfection. And reminds us to say it humbly, since we are still being changed too.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The order of is the whole battle of parenting: indicative before imperative, identity before behavior. Your kids are already new in Christ, if they're His, and that's the engine of obedience, not the reward for it. But notice the middle clause, "renewed in the spirit of your mind." Sanctification is Spirit-empowered, not self-generated. It is grace working with a believer's genuine, willing cooperation, never a switch flipped over a passive person. This is the warm, classic Wesleyan vision. God is at work, and we truly respond. So disciple your kids toward dependence on the Spirit, not mere self-discipline. Teach them to pray for help, not just to try harder. And let them see you "put off" your own old clothes: a quick repentance, a real apology to your child, a fresh asking of the Spirit. That picture preaches the new creation louder than any lecture.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost: This Story Is Our Story.
Let's Pray Together
"Holy Spirit, thank You for living in us and making us new. Help us take off our old, sinful ways and put on the kind, gentle ways of Jesus today. We can't do it on our own, so we ask for Your power. In Jesus' name, amen."
I am already new in Christ. So today, with the Spirit's help, I'll get dressed in the new me.