May the Peace of the Lord be with you. I thank the Eternal and Almighty God for this moment He grants us to draw near to His Word, which is life, truth, and liberation. As the psalmist David said, it is better to spend a single day in the presence of God than a thousand anywhere else, for being before His Word and under the influence of His Holy Spirit is the most glorious thing a man or woman of faith can experience. We give thanks to the Lord because, as He has promised, “where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them,” bringing correction, instruction, direction, and above all, establishing His Kingdom on earth.
Today we immerse ourselves in the teaching of Ephesians 4:17-22, where the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reveals to us seven characteristics of the old man. This teaching is not only for those who are outside the faith, but also for believers, because the old man can persist even in those who have embraced the Gospel. Many think that the old man only manifests in those who are not firm in their walk with Christ, but this is an error. The church of Ephesus, to which Paul writes, was established for three years in the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, as related in Acts 19. If Paul speaks to them about the old man, it is because he can remain active in the life of believers, although in a different way than how he manifested when they were in the world. The old man mutates, transforms, adopts more subtle and sophisticated forms, but continues to be an influence that we must identify and confront.
The purpose of this teaching is to help us recognize the old man in our daily life, so that we can crucify him and live fully under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Below, we explore the seven characteristics described in Ephesians 4:17-22, with a detailed explanation of each one, supported by the Scriptures.
The Seven Characteristics
• Vanity of the mind: The apostle Paul begins by saying that the old man “walks in the vanity of his mind” (Ephesians 4:17). This means that his thoughts are centered on things that are empty, superficial, or lacking eternal purpose. A believer can be trapped in the vanity of his mind when he prioritizes ideas, ambitions, or worldly concerns above God’s Will. This characteristic invites us to examine whether our thoughts are aligned with the purposes of the Kingdom or if they are dominated by the temporary.
• Darkened understanding: In Ephesians 4:18, Paul points out that the old man has “their understanding darkened.” Although a believer may have been in the Gospel for years, his capacity to understand the things of God may be obscured. This happens when we do not clearly discern Divine Truth or when we cling to preconceived ideas that prevent us from growing spiritually. It is a reminder that knowledge of God requires humility and openness to the Spirit.
• Alienated from the life of God: Also in Ephesians 4:18, we are told that the old man is “alienated from the life of God” through ignorance. This implies a disconnection from God’s work and purpose. As the Lord said to the prophet Jeremiah, “If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth” (Jeremiah 15:19). This warning was not for a pagan people, but for a prophet, which shows us that even believers can live without fully understanding God’s work. We must seek to know and value His purpose in our lives.
• Hardness of heart: The fourth characteristic, also in Ephesians 4:18, is the “blindness of their heart,” which Paul defines as ignorance and rebellion against God. This hardness manifests when we harbor resentment or unbelief because God did not respond as we expected. In Mark 8:16-17, the disciples were discussing not having bread, despite having seen Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes. Jesus rebuked them: “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?” In Mark 3:4-5, Jesus, when facing the unbelief of the Pharisees, “was grieved at the hardness of their hearts.” Hardness of heart blinds us to God’s intervention, leading us to rebellion and unbelief. To overcome it, we must renounce resentment and embrace forgiveness.
• Loss of conscience: In Ephesians 4:19, Paul describes the old man as someone who “has lost all sensitivity.” This means he lacks sensitivity to distinguish between good and evil, just and unjust. In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, it warns that “in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” The old man does not discern what pleases God, falling into the hypnosis of worldly ideas, as described in 2 Peter 2:18-19, where false teachers “allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.” A believer under the influence of the old man may ignore corrections or act without considering spiritual consequences.
• Shamelessness without limits: Also in Ephesians 4:19, it says that the old man “has given himself over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” This does not refer only to evident sins, but to a lack of limits in actions, even in things that seem harmless. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul exhorts: “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” When a believer acts without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, even with good intentions, he can contaminate his life spiritually. In Matthew 4:1-11, Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, something Jesus had the power to do, but He did not do it because it was not God’s Will. In Acts 16:6-7, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to preach in Asia and Bithynia, showing that even good intentions must be submitted to Divine direction. The old man acts without restraint, justifying everything as “for the glory of God,” but this can lead to spiritual contamination.
• Deceitful lusts: Finally, in Ephesians 4:22, Paul exhorts us to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” The term “corrupt” implies corruption, and deceitful lusts lead us to live in fantasies, mysticism, or esoteric practices. Many believers, in their eagerness to connect with God, depend on external elements like music, environments, or images to “feel” His presence. This is not the Holy Spirit, but the old man, who seeks stimuli similar to those we used in the world. In Colossians 2:8, Paul warns: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” If we need external stimuli to pray or worship, it is the old man who guides us, not the Spirit.
Conclusion
The old man is not just our former way of living before knowing Christ. He is a sinful nature that opposes God’s Will, a worldly influence that seduces us, and a diabolical being that reflects the image of the enemy, as Paul says: “We have borne the image of the man of dust” (1 Corinthians 15:49). In Revelation 2:4-5, the Lord rebukes the church of Ephesus: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.” Leaving the first love is allowing the old man to take control, turning us away from the Spirit’s direction.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus warns: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Although we may act in God’s Name, if we do so directed by the old man, we are not in His Will. Therefore, we must identify these seven characteristics in our life and crucify the old man. We are called to be testimony of the manifold Wisdom of God, as Ephesians 3:10 says: “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” May this teaching awaken us to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, renouncing the old man and walking in Truth. May the Peace of the Lord accompany you and lead you to make the decision to live for His Glory.
