Having put off the old man and having put on the new man is a condition of learning Christ. This is utterly different from the devilish, modernistic teaching which says that Christ established the highest standard of human living and that we must endeavor to copy Him and to live up to this standard. If we would learn Christ as the truth is in Jesus, we must fulfill the condition of having put off the old man and of having put on the new man. This is not a superficial truth.
Verse 22 says that we have put off, as regards the former manner of life, the old man. The former manner of life was a walk in the vanity of the mind. Such a manner of life has been terminated and put away.
Verse 22 also says that the old man “is being corrupted according to the lusts of the deceit.” The old man is of Adam, created by God, but fallen through sin. The article before the word deceit is emphatic and indicates that the word deceit is personified. Hence, deceit here refers to the deceiver, the Devil, from whom are the lusts of the corrupted old man. The old man is corrupted according to the lusts of the Devil, the deceiving one. Outwardly, the manner of life of the old man is a walk in the vanity of the mind. Inwardly, the old man is corrupted according to the lusts of the Devil, the lusts of the deceit.
This old man was crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6) and was buried in baptism (Rom. 6:4). Hallelujah, we have put off the old man in baptism!
Between the word regarding the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man, Paul wedges in the thought of being renewed in the spirit of our mind (v. 23). Based upon the accomplished facts of the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man, verse 23 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. To be renewed is for our transformation to the image of Christ (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18). The spirit here is the regenerated spirit of the believers mingled with the indwelling Spirit of God. Such a mingled spirit spreads into our mind, thus becoming the spirit of our mind. It is in such a spirit that we are renewed for our transformation. In this way our natural mind is conquered, subdued, and put under the spirit. This, of course, implies a process of metabolic transformation. As this process takes place, the mingled spirit enters our mind, takes over our mind, and becomes the spirit of our mind.
By the spirit of the mind we are renewed to fulfill in experience what was accomplished in the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man. The putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man are accomplished facts. Now we must experience and realize these facts by being renewed in the spirit of our mind. As these facts are realized in experience, we live a life that corresponds to the life of Jesus. This means that we live a life of truth, a life in the shining of light and in the expression of God. When we are renewed in the spirit of our mind to execute the fact of having put off the old man and having put on the new man, we live a life according to the truth that is in Jesus.