Put Off Flesh Put on Christ (Colossians 3:5-16)

Joel Dorman – Put Off Flesh, Put on Christ (Colossians 3:5-16) (Module 5) | 1

Introduction

Writing to the church in the small town by the Lyous River of Colosse, Paul tells the

Christians there about their great need to put aside their old ways of living in exchange for the

new life in Christ (Gaebelein, 211). Brought into a relationship with Him through His mercy and

grace, they are “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” (Colossians 3:12, NIV). Paul

instructs the Christians to put off flesh and put on Christ. Today, the message is still the same:

the vices of the old way must be killed in order for the virtues of the new life to take root and

grow. This is the heart of the message of Colossians 3:5-16.

Vices of Old Life (Colossians 3:5-11)

Paul writes to “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to the earth nature” (Colossians

3:5). In telling Christians to “put to death” the vices in their lives (vices that should not be

present in the new way of life), Paul uses unique language. He never uses this phrase in the rest

of his writings. This demonstrates the critical necessity of crucifying the old life (Melick, 287).

These vices of the old life are found throughout verses five through nine: “sexual immorality,

impurity, lust, evil desires…greed” (Colossians 3:5), “anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy

language” and lying (Colossians 3:8-9).

The first part of this list, found in verse five, summarizes into the desire for more. Today,

it could be described as hedonism. The constant desire and craving for more of something,

ultimately, “is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). By using the word “idolatry”, Paul is further

demonstrating the severity of these vices. The very first command the Lord gave Israel in the

Ten Commandments was “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the

land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3). The accusation

against Israel through much of the Old Testament was idolatry and it was an accusation made


against the Gentile nations as well. Ephesians 5:5 parallels this list in Colossians 3:5, “For of

this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any

inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God”. This first set of vices breaks what Jesus listed

as the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37: love for the Lord.

The second part of this list, coming from Colossians 3:8-9, shares this dire overtone.

Ultimately, all sin is against God, but this part of the list—anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy

language and lying—are sins committed against their own brothers and sisters in faith and their

world, which depends on the witness of Christians. They are also summarily dismissing the

commandment Jesus listed in similar importance to the greatest commandment: love your

neighbor (Matthew 22:38-39).

Paul indicates that as Christians, they have already taken off the “old self with its

practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its

Creator” (Colossians 3:9-10). This makes these vices even more dangerous in the Christian’s

life: they have already been robed in Christ’s righteousness, yet continue to live as if the old rags

were still their clothing.

These vices must be discarded. Moreover, they must be put to death. They are no longer

applicable in the lives of followers of the Master. In Christ, Christians are unified in their word

and witness. Believers in Christ, out of significant need, must put aside the old vices in favor of

the virtues of the new life in Jesus Christ.

Virtues of the New Life (Colossians 3:12-16)

As those who have “put on the new self” (Colossians 3:10), Paul begins the instruction of

Colossians 3:12-16 with the reminder they are “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved”

(Colossians 3:12). Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a


temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your

own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” The freedom

Christians enjoy came at the price of the life of Jesus and He has called Christians to be His

people. His love, demonstrated by the cross, provides the impetus for righteous living.

Paul also provides a list of virtues a follower of Christ is to wear: “compassion, kindness,

humility, gentleness, patience” (Colossians 3:12b), forgiveness, love, peace, thankfulness, and

the indwelling of the Word of God (Colossians 3:13-16). This list, although certainly not

exhaustive, stands in stark contrast to the vices that plagued the old life.

Instead of practicing evil against Christian brothers and sisters or the unbelieving world,

Paul reinforces loving one’s neighbor by emphasizing the traits which would naturally lend

themselves to putting others first. “Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”

(Colossians 3:12b) are outward signs of the inward work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of

Christians. Writing to the Galatians, Paul also tells them, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,

peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-

23). These outward virtues demonstrate to others around the Christians of the calling by the

Lord to be His people.

The second part of this list (Colossians 3:13-16) demonstrates the awareness of the

closeness of relationship with God. Knowing the forgiveness a believer has received through

Christ Jesus translates into an ability to forgive others of any grief they may have caused. The

love a believer has for the Lord, in turn, produces the love Paul wrote of in Colossians 3:14 when

he instructs, “and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect

unity”. Paul’s first list (Colossians 3:12), is held together because of the love between the

believer and Christ.


The peace of God, as transmitted through His love, rules in the hearts of believers along

with thankfulness. This peace and thankfulness are extensions of the relationship with Jesus

Christ. Models for this are found, as Paul demonstrated, in the word of Christ. This love, which

brings all virtues into proper balance, is capable of guiding Christians “as you teach with all

wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”

(Colossians 3:16).

Verifying the Process of Replacing Vice with Virtue

There are several steps Paul has imbedded into Colossians 3:5-16 producing one

summary statement: the focus on the internal relationship will build the external relationships.

Paul tells believers they are “being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator”

(Colossians 3:10b). This renewal is part of the process of sanctification in the life of a Christian.

This is not a passive exercise, but a consistent, conscious, and conscientious focus on one’s

relationship with their Savior. This three-step process is the guiding methodology of this writer

in the procedure of putting off flesh and putting on Christ.

Consistent

The attention to the relationship between the follower and the Master must be consistent.

Ridding one’s self of the habits that come so easily, can only be accomplished through regular

time with the One who is capable of replacing these attitudes and practices with His goodness

and grace. There is no substitute for the consistent study of God’s word and prayer to the Father.

Conscious

This process must also be conscious. Although certainly sanctification is a process done

to the Christian, this does not mean that a Christian is transformed without awareness. This

certainly is not Paul’s point in this passage. Paul writes to “clothe yourselves” (Colossians 3:12)


and “forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). This is not subconscious, but an

intentional choice to put on the virtues of the new life and put off the vices of the old life.

Conscientious

Lastly, this process of killing the old and clothing in the new is a conscientious effort.

Not only is it one that is produced through consistent time with the Lord and governed by a

conscious awareness of the process, but it is one that is carried through to completion by

conscientiousness. It is not enough to be aware of the new life; it must be practiced. Putting to

death the old way with the sin associated with it will be a daily, perhaps hourly, battle. The new

way that leads to life of forgiveness, love, thanksgiving, and peace must be put into practice on a

regular basis.

Final Thoughts

Putting off flesh and putting on Christ, is a lifelong process of being made aware of the

vices plaguing one’s life and choosing to allow Christ to work the virtues as the only viable

replacements for these vices in one’s life. Far from irregular, putting on Christ is consistently

practiced. Far from passively performed in the lives of believers, it is a conscious effort. Far

from an intellectual exercise, putting on Christ is conscientious. Only through this consistent,

conscious, and conscientious process, can one “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”

(Colossians 3:16b).


Bibliography

Gaebelein, Frank E., A. Skevington Wood, Homer A. Kent Jr. et al. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 11: Ephesians Through Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.

Melick, Richard R. Vol. 32, Philippians, Colissians, Philemon. electronic ed. Logos Library System; The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001.

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Put Off Flesh Put on Christ (Colossians 3:5-16)