Putting off the old man and putting on the new man means being delivered from the old Adamic nature through faith in Christ and receiving a new divine nature that God creates in the believer.
As Les Feldick explains from Ephesians 4:22-24, the old man is the old Adamic nature with which every person is born, corrupt according to deceitful lusts. Putting it off involves a renewal in the spirit of the mind. Then the believer puts on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness — a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God is the creator; the believer's part is to believe.
Ephesians 4:22-24 — These are the key verses that directly command believers to put off the old man, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new man.
2 Corinthians 5:17 — This verse explains that anyone in Christ is a new creation, with old things passed away and all things become new.
Romans 6:6 — This verse identifies the old man and declares that he was crucified with Christ so the body of sin might be destroyed.
Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs the believer: "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." These verses connect the command to set aside the old man with the renewing of the mind and the creation of a new man after God. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Being in Christ produces a new creation. Romans 6:6 adds, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." The old man is the corrupt nature that was crucified with Christ so that sin's dominion is broken.
Les Feldick consistently identifies the "old man" as "old Adam" — the Adamic nature every person is born with, a nature bent to rebellion (Clips 3, 5). He draws this from Romans 6:6 and Ephesians 4:22, where Paul describes the old man as "corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." Putting off the old man, Les explains, is not a matter of self-reformation; it is what God does in the believer at salvation. When a person believes, God creates a new nature within them, making them a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Clips 0, 2, 7). This new man is created "in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24; Clip 1). It is divine and cannot sin. Even so, the old Adam is still present in actual experience and can trip up believers (Clips 0, 2). That is why Paul tells believers to reckon the old man dead and keep the body under control rather than letting old Adam rule (Clips 1, 4).
Les Feldick identifies the "old man" as "old Adam" — the old Adamic nature that every child of Adam is born with (Clips 3, 5). This nature is "bent to rebellion"; even a newborn will manifest sin as soon as it is able. Scripture describes this old man as "corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" and says it was crucified with Christ so the body of sin might be destroyed (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22). Les also explains why God uses the term "old man": it goes back to Adam's three-part makeup and the old sin nature that must be put to death (Clip 6).
The new man is a direct creation of God. Les teaches from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that the moment a person believes and is in Christ, God does a work of creation and creates a new nature within the believer (Clip 0). That new nature is divine and cannot sin (Clip 2). In Ephesians 4:24, Paul says the new man is "created in righteousness and true holiness" (Clip 1). The new birth includes God creating a transformed mind within the believer, so old things pass away and all things become new (Clip 7).
Although God considers the old man crucified and dead, Les explains that in actual experience the old Adam is still with us and is capable of tripping us up (Clips 0, 2). When a believer does something wrong, it is "old Adam who dwelleth in me," not the true self that has become new in Christ (Clip 4). The believer's responsibility is to reckon the old man dead, not give in to him, and keep the body under control — using the same language Paul uses of keeping his body in subjection (Clips 1, 4).
God does the work of creation, regeneration, and renewal; the believer's part is to believe the gospel. The moment a person believes, God does the work of creation (Clip 0). Then, in daily experience, the believer is told to put off the former manner of living, to be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and to put on the new man (Clip 1). This means not giving in to old Adam but keeping him under control (Clip 4).
New Creation in Christ
Les teaches from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that the moment a person believes, God performs a work of creation and creates within that believer a new nature — the new man.
Putting Off the Old Man
Les reads Ephesians 4:22-24, teaching that the old man is old Adam and the new man is a newly created part of the believer, created in righteousness and true holiness.
The New Divine Nature
Les teaches that when old Adam dies, God imparts a new divine nature that cannot sin, and yet the old flesh remains and can still trip us up.
Identifying the Old Man
Les explains Romans 6:6 shows the old man is the Adamic nature every child of Adam is born with, bent to rebellion.
Old Adam in the Believer's Daily Life
Les teaches that when believers do wrong it is old Adam dwelling in them; God reckons him dead, and believers are to keep the body under control.
The Old Adam We're Born With
Les returns to Romans 6:6 again to identify the old man as the old Adam we are born with.
Why God Calls It the Old Man
Les gives background on Adam's tripartite nature and why God deals with the old sin nature, helping explain the term old man.
Transformed by the New Birth
Les teaches from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that new creation is part of the new birth; God creates a transformed mind within us.
Ephesians 4:22: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
This verse names the old man and connects it to the former manner of living and corrupt desires.
Ephesians 4:23: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
This verse links the putting off of the old man with the renewing of the mind.
Ephesians 4:24: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
This verse describes the new man as a creation of God in righteousness and true holiness.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This verse shows that being in Christ makes a person a new creation.
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
This verse teaches that the old man was crucified with Christ so sin's power would be broken.
The old man is the old Adamic nature every person is born with, corrupt according to deceitful lusts and bent to rebellion. Scripture says it was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be destroyed.
No. The new man is created by God in righteousness and true holiness. When a person believes and is in Christ, God does a work of creation and imparts a new divine nature.
God considers the old man dead, but in actual experience the old Adam is still present. As Les Feldick teaches, when believers do wrong it is old Adam dwelling in them, so they are to reckon him dead and keep the body under control.
In Ephesians 4:23, being renewed in the spirit of the mind is part of the process of putting off the old man and putting on the new man. Les teaches the new birth includes God creating a transformed mind within the believer.