Reading: Ephesians 4:17-32
Context: How does Paul contrast the Gentile way of life with Christian living?
The heart of the contrast lies in the difference that God makes in what it means to live. What makes it Gentile is its ignorance and/or rejection of God. As a result, Paul describes this kind of life as futile thinking, darkened understanding, alienation from the life of God because of a hard heart, callousness and devotion to sensuality, and greed to practice all kinds of impurity. Paul outlines this as what to expect in a world that ignores and rejects God. Paul makes it very clear that this is the norm for the world around us.
What Paul lays out is a chain reaction. A hard heart leads to ignorance, ignorance leads to a darkened understanding, and a darkened understanding leads to a mind so “past feeling” that it becomes callous and gives itself over to sensuality and greed. Paul isn’t saying Gentiles are simply less moral; he’s saying the root problem is relational and spiritual before it’s ever behavioural. The word he uses for “futility” (mataiotes) carries the sense of emptiness or vanity — chasing things that ultimately amount to nothing eternal. So the futile thinking Paul describes isn’t stupidity; it’s misdirected energy: real effort and real intelligence poured into a life cut off from its true source. That’s a sobering picture, because it means the “norm for the world around us” isn’t just bad behaviour on the surface — it’s a whole operating system running on the wrong power source.
Then he outlines the difference God makes in a life, highlighting factors and qualities that reflect His character.
It’s also worth noting that Paul doesn’t leave the contrast as a simple before-and-after snapshot — he gives the mechanics of the change in verses 22-24: put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new self, created in God’s likeness in true righteousness and holiness. This isn’t a one-time decision but an ongoing, active process, much like changing clothes each day rather than getting dressed once for life. The renewal happens specifically in the mind, mirroring the diagnosis in verse 17 – if the Gentile life begins in futile thinking, the Christian life must begin with a mind remade by truth.
That mechanic then plays out concretely in verses 25-32, where Paul builds each instruction as a straight swap: he names the old Gentile behaviour and pairs it with its replacement. So “let him who stole steal no longer” is matched with “rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” — turning the Gentile’s greed to take into the Christian’s discipline to give. Likewise, “let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths” is paired with speech “that is good for building up,” and bitterness and anger are set against kindness and forgiveness “as God in Christ forgave you.” This is the real answer to the question at the heart of the passage: Christian living isn’t just the absence of the Gentile vices Paul lists in verses 17-19; it’s their positive, active opposite, modelled on God’s own character rather than on the futility of a mind cut off from Him.
Content: What specific behaviours should be “put off” and what should be “put on”?
What’s listed above in the Gentile way of life covers a lot of what should be put off. This is summarised with the phrase: corrupt through deceitful desires. Whatever fits this description of human behaviour and activity is what should be put off. The behaviours are rooted in a particular way of thinking. The thinking is rooted in the rejection and ignorance of God.
The old self is characterised further by practising falsehood, sinful anger that lingers, theft, operating on corrupting talk, having no problem grieving the Holy Spirit with contrary behaviour, and cultivating and encouraging anger, bitterness, clamour, slander, and malice.
Putting on the new self also involves adopting a specific kind of thinking, and Paul encourages us to know that this thinking should be regularly renewed. It should call for constant awareness to stay plugged into what it means to act in this new way because of this new thinking. As a result of this new thinking, we reflect the holy and righteous character of the Source.
Specifically, the new self tells the truth, is capable of being angry without sinning, does honest work with their hands, so they’re in a position to share with those in need, speaks in a way to build up the listener, is kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving in a manner reflecting how Jesus forgives us.
Concept: What role does the Holy Spirit play in this transformation process?
It is fair to say, without hyperbole, that the transformation process is impossible without the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit is essential. He is essential because it is He who lives in us to connect us to the Holy God whose character we reflect. It is He who leads and directs us to respond and react to circumstances in the way that shows we are a sibling of the Saviour. He is the one who causes the transformation. He is the one who reminds us of the aspects of the transformation. He is the one who generates the desire in us to do what is pleasing in the sight of our Father. He does this so that we, as a community, experience stronger ties in our relationships and a greater propensity for reconciliation and redemption, rather than holding grudges and behaving in divisive ways. He is pivotal in the whole process – He teaches, He influences, He illuminates, He inspires, He gives us focus, He shows us Jesus, and connects what we see to who we are.
Paul doesn’t leave the Spirit’s role abstract — he names it directly in verse 30: “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” That single verse does two things at once. First, it tells us the Spirit is personal, not a force — He can be grieved, meaning our bitterness, anger, and corrupt speech in verses 25-31 don’t just damage our relationships; they wound the very One who indwells us. Second, it tells us the Spirit’s presence is a seal — a mark of ownership and a guarantee that carries all the way to “the day of redemption,” the future completion of our salvation. That’s what gives the transformation its staying power: it isn’t Christians trying harder through willpower; it’s the Spirit Himself holding us secure while He works the change from the inside. So when Paul moves straight from “grieve not the Spirit” into “be kind to one another, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you,” he’s showing that our capacity to forgive isn’t manufactured by effort — it flows out of the same Spirit who has already sealed us for a day we haven’t reached yet
Conclusions: Which area of “putting off” and “putting on” challenges you most?
Excellent question. I’m grateful to have a loving, supportive core of believers I can confess these things to in the right space, so they can hold me in their prayers. I would say that there are areas that challenge me significantly in putting off, and having that support network is very helpful in focusing on how the help is present in the Holy Spirit. In terms of the putting-on part, I want to do a lot better at being tender-hearted. That softness of sensitivity to others, as Jesus displayed to others, is the part I want to excel in as I lean into relying more on the Holy Spirit. I’d like it to be evident in the words that overflow from me from time to time.
Next time:
WIWO – Ephesians – Episode Ten: Walking in Love and Light
Reading – Ephesians 5:1-20
Jesus has done a tremendous work in our lives. That tremendous work means we’re brand new, and so there are things to put on and put off. We cannot do it through willpower or external force. We need the Holy Spirit and His illumination reminds us why we need to take God’s Word In so we can live His Word Out.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
