Put Off Put On

Colossians 3:5-11

Message #9

Two weeks ago, the message of the title was, Sufficient or Not,” and the question was – does one hundred percent of all we need in our life with God come through our real, personal and always-increasing relationship with Jesus Christ? And the answer was a resounding YES. And in that message, we saw clearly that trying to follow someone else’s religious rules and requirements provides no true help in conquering sin or transforming our life on the inside. That message was kind of a knockout punch for those trying to reach God through religious rules and regulations.

And then, in last week’s message, If Not Religion Then What? we began to answer the question, “If following man-made religious rules and regulations don’t transform my life for God, then what does?” And we saw in the first paragraph of Colossians Chapter 3 that where we set our sights is where we are going to go. And God’s Word compelled us to always be seeking the things of heaven to set our mind, our focus, and our determination on our new life in Christ.

So, it’s not “external motivation,” it’s “internal desire.” It’s a new life inside that comes out. This is the entire teaching of the Bible: Old and New Testament.

Today, we begin to get to the how. HOW do we begin to DO this? Today we see the most famous “life-transformation theology” of the New Testament, and we see WHY a real, personal, always growing relationship with Jesus Christ does what NO religious rules or regulations can ever do.

These verses are famously known as the “Put Off – Put On” theology of the New Testament. This truth is written a number of times in the New Testament (with Ephesians 4:17-5:5 being the primary parallel). And understanding this “Put Off – Put On” theology fully answers the question, “If not religion, then what?”

And the answer is a death and life answer. The answer is a putting to death and a bringing to life answer, and it starts today with a therefore. Colossians 3, verse 5 (NLT) starts with the word SO, meaning THEREFORE. This is a word that connects these verses to the verses just before them.

SO… because your new life in Christ is one hundred percent sufficient for your life with God (two messages ago), AND because Man’s religious rules and regulations provide no help in true life-transformation (last week’s message),

Therefore… Colossians 3:5(a) (NLT)
5 So (therefore) put to death . . . (stop)

Every translation I use says here, put to death. In the original, this is in the ACTIVE VOICE, which means you do it – you make the choice. You take the action to “put to death” what NEEDS to be put to death.

You DON’T provide the power.
You CAN’T provide the power.

The power we NEED to put to death
the things that NEED to be put to death
COMES IN and FROM our real, personal, ever-increasing relationship with Jesus.

The power comes from your life IN Christ, but YOU make the choice. YOU take the action, and the life of Jesus Christ in you IS the power.

One definition of the word translated “put to death” is “destroying the strength of a thing with lethal determination.”

I love that – destroying the strength of a thing with lethal determination.
That is our part.

You having a lethal determination to put to death what needs to be put to death is your part. It’s not the power. It’s not the peace. It’s not the way. It’s just the choice. And once you make that choice, God will come alongside you with the power of the Comforter – the Parakletos – the One Who Comes Alongside to Help. He will come alongside you (the Holy Spirit will), and he’ll provide all of the “God part.” But it doesn’t mean you don’t have a part.

There is an “our part”
and there is a “God’s part.”

The lethal determination is the our part. The power to destroy the thing that needs destroying is the life of Jesus Christ in you – that is God’s part.

Our part – is the lethal determination.
God’s part – is the power to accomplish it.

I remember Pam and I’s lethal determination. We destroyed our Rock and Roll vinyl LPs from our life. We stood outside the dumpster at our apartment for what must have been two hours breaking records one at a time. (Then we began to buy Christian rock.) You’ve got to have an action. You have to remember when you went forward. I remember when I went forward to the Cross. I remember when I went forward to be baptized. I remember when I made this determination, this lethal determination for God to destroy what needs to be destroyed in my life.

Colossians 3:5 (NLT)
5 So put to death 
(destroy the strength of with lethal determination) the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with (another way of saying “put to death,” crucify, eliminate) sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy (put greed to death), for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

These are references to your sin nature to your flesh nature that is still lurking within you. Romans 6 says your sin nature has been rendered inoperative. It does not have power over you, but it is lurking over you. And if you feed it, you will give it the power it needs. So, don’t feed it – starve it to death.

YOU make the choice; YOU take the action with lethal determination, and God provides the supernatural power IN and THROUGH your real and ever-increasing relationship with Jesus Christ. This happens as you walk with him, one day, one step, one decision at a time. God provides the power in that relationship. This is the “Put off” side of living our new life in Christ. Put off – put to death with lethal determination the things of your old nature – your sin nature. It’s an extreme decision.

Then for a little motivation.

Colossians 3:6 (NLT)
6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.


Paul is talking to Believers here. And he is saying, “Look, why would you want to hold on to this because the wrath of God is coming on that. Why are you embracing that? Why do you think that’s important? Why can’t you let go of that because, listen, the wrath of God is coming.”

This “anger of God” is referring to the holy, just, and righteous response of God – to sin. Guys, God must judge sin, or he cannot be holy, and he cannot be God. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, God does not excuse your sin. Your sin is fully paid for by Jesus Christ in your place. Through faith in Jesus, the wrath of God for your sin falls on Christ – instead of you.

And then, adding logic to the motivation of verse 6…

Colossians 3:7 (NLT)
7 You used to do these things 
(the works of your sin nature) when your life was still part of this world.

Do you see the implication there? Paul is saying, “Why are you going back as a dog goes back to his vomit? You used to do these things when your life was still part of the world. This was your old life – these sinful choices.”

God is saying, these are the things you used to do in your old life. But that old life has been crucified with Christ, and you have been raised to new life in him. So, live in your new life – not in your old life. Set your focus and set your actions on your new life in Christ.

Putting into action your new life in Christ requires you to FIRST put to death – with lethal determination – your old life of sin.

The simple term is “repentance,” but there’s more intense phrasing here. Before you can walk towards Jesus, you have to walk away from the sin that is destroying your life. That’s what repentance means – to turn around and go the other way. And so, you make that choice to turn, and then every baby step you take towards Christ, he gives you the power to take another baby step. But it’s not all at once. It’s AS you’re walking toward him.

Isn’t it time? If you have made Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord today, isn’t it time to begin walking in the new life that you have been given IN Christ? Isn’t it time to turn from the thing of your old life, from the things of your sin nature, from the things of this world?

Verses 8-9 say Now is the time to do that.

Colossians 3:8-9 (NLT)
8 But now is the time to get rid of 
(LITERALLY Put Off, Put Away) anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off 
(Put Off) your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

Notice it is your old nature that has been stripped off. This is a finished work. Your nature has been put away. And so, not it’s time to get rid of the things that have been stripped off of you. It’s a clothing metaphor. Take off the old man and put on the new man.

NOW is the time to put away the works of your sin nature. NOT in order to earn or deserve something from God. NOT in order to follow some rules and regulations BUT (verse 9 says), BECAUSE you have stripped off (Put off) your old sin nature.

When verse 9 says for you have stripped off (Put off) your old sinful nature, it is speaking positionally, meaning IN CHRIST you have been freed from the power of your sin nature. You have died to that old life – so stop trying to revive it. You are no longer a slave to your sin nature. So, STOP choosing it as your master.

When you received new life in Jesus Christ your sin nature lost its power to enslave you. It now only has power if you GIVE it power.

Romans 6:6–7 (NLT)
6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.


Our life transformation comes from learning to live in the new life that Jesus Christ has freely given us.

Sin has lost its power. We are no longer slaves to sin. The old nature has been thrown off (stripped off). It has been crucified with Christ.

Decades ago, I discipled a ministry leader who was struggling with what we call life-dominating sin. And they’d been a ministry leader for a while. I said, “You know, I think your problem is you’re not saved because you don’t believe that Jesus Christ has the power to overcome this sin in your life. We’re going to get down on our knees right now, and we’re going to get you saved. And we’re going to ask that God baptize you with the Holy Spirit, so you’ll believe that you have the power to overcome this sin.”

If the life of Jesus Christ is living with full reign in your life, you have the power in Christ to put to death what needs to be put to death in your life and to begin to live a victorious life IN Christ.

And so, Colossians 3, verse 10 says,

Colossians 3:10 (NLT)
10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.


There is so, so much in this one huge verse! There is more coming about Putting ON your new nature in the coming messages, but I love this summary because this summary verse tells the full put on side of our new-life transformation.

To “put on” means “to sink into,” “to be immersed into,” “to be clothed in.”

Sink into your new nature, be immersed in your new nature, be clothed in your new nature, and be renewed – be transformed.

Put on your new nature, and be renewed

Definition of “be renewed” means “to be changed into a new kind of life,” and in the Greek, it’s in the PRESENT TENSE, which means it is continual.

So, it is: sink into your new nature and be continually changed into a new kind of life.

Be continually changed into a new kind of life by sinking into – by being immersed into your new nature (your new life) IN Christ.

And then look very closely at that one little word that comes after the phrase be renewed in verse 10. That little word – AS. Be (continually) renewedAS you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Please listen to me very carefully, right here. Your life, being continually renewed in Christ, you living your new life in Christ – it’s not magic; you have a role. Jesus Christ has provided the position and the power, but you and I still have a role.

THAT is WHY Colossians 3, verse 10 says, We put on our new nature, and we are continually renewed – as we learn to know our Creator and become like him. We “Put off” our old nature – with lethal determination, and then we immerse ourselves INTO our new nature in Christ. And we are continually renewed (transformed) AS we learn to know our Creator and become like him.

This CAN NOT happen by following religious rules and regulations applied from the outside. This can only happen through a real, personal, ever-increasing relationship with Jesus, and then his life in us – with the power of the Holy Spirit – and with direction from God’s Living Word renews us. It transforms us AS we grow in our personal and ever-increasing knowledge of the Lord.

And day by day, as we behold his glory, we become more and more like him.

“Over time.” It’s not magic, not instantaneous. AS you develop this ever-increasing relationship with Jesus, and more and more of his life, and less and less of your life is controlling your life, then you are changed. That’s what we see here.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate
(behold) the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Religious rules and regulations will never transform you like that!! But, “Putting On” your new life in Christ and being renewed as we know him more and more, THAT will transform our life – not from the outside in but from the inside out.

And finally, let’s look at verse 11.

Colossians 3:11 (NLT)
11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.


Again, the Holy Spirit tries to sum up everything that does not matter in our new life in Christ. Our nationality doesn’t matter – it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. Our religion doesn’t matter – it doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or uncircumcised. Our culture doesn’t matter – it doesn’t matter if you are barbaric (uncultured), or uncivilized. Our social standing doesn’t matter – it doesn’t matter if you are slave, or free.

In your new life in Christ, none of that matters. Your nationality, your religion, your culture, your social standing – in our new life in Christ, none of that matters.

J.C. Ryle, a famous evangelical leader of the late 1800s, said this:
The three words—Christ is all—are the essence and substance of Christianity. If our hearts can really go along with them, it is well with our souls.…

But for far too many Christian religions, “Christ is NOT ALL.”
It is Christ PLUS their particular church.
Or Christ PLUS their sacraments.
Or Christ PLUS their good works.

Our new life cannot be Jesus Christ plus anything. Our new life must be out of our life with Christ – comes everything.

So, put to death with lethal determination the works of your old life.

PUT OFF your old nature (stop giving it power)
PUT ON your new nature (IN Jesus Christ)
and be continually renewed AS you learn to know your Creator and become like him.