We're in Ephesians chapter four. We'll start with about verse 23 or 24, but I want to go back earlier verses and just quickly give a context. because it will help us in what we're looking at going forward. The focus this morning will be the whole concept, starting in verse 22, of putting off concerning the former conversation or the former lifestyle, the behavior of the old man, putting off the old man, putting on the new man. That's the focus of the rest of this chapter. But we sort of have to, or need to see the context, and I'll just glance, starting with about verse 18. The Holy Spirit has the Apostle Paul to talk about the nature of the Gentiles. And in verse 17 he said, henceforth you are to not walk as other Gentiles in the vanity of their minds. And so you can look down through those verses 18 and following, and they were aimless, and blind, and ungodly, and ignorant, and hardened, and shameless, and sordid, and greedy, and impure and other things. So that's a pretty sad statement of the nature of a lost person. I don't think there's anyone here who would look back and say, well, I don't know how to relate to that. Even as believers, we still have to relate to that because otherwise we would not be told to put it off. But the first thing after this litany of description of the nature of the lost person, in verse 17, he said, don't walk that way anymore. And then in verse 26, but you have not so learned Christ. Being a Christian makes a radical difference. You have not so learned Christ, verse 21, if so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. That you put off concerning the conversational lifestyle of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. So, how do you live the Christian life? What are some key aspects of how you live the Christian life, and if someone is talking to you about living the Christian life, What might be some things that people would say, or you might say to them? There are a lot of cliches out there, and there's a lot of places to turn, but having been familiar with this passage, some of you immediately hit on this, and the question I have for myself and for you this morning, is this where I go when life has tumbled in for me? And so it says, put off concerning the former behavior which is corrupt according to sinful lust, according to deluded passions, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. So if I'm going to win spiritual battles, I cannot win spiritual battles from the position of passivity. I cannot win spiritual battles by just hoping God will zap me. There is warfare that goes on here. And by the way, if I'm going to win spiritual battles, what am I going to have to use? The Bible. And if I use the Bible, I'm going to have to use my mind. Well, that doesn't sound very spiritual. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And so a lot of people have listened to sermons and gone down roads that promote, and years earlier in life, that's what I was taught. And there's a wonderful concept in John 15 about abiding in Christ. Well, when people got through teaching that, that was some sort of ethereal experience that you had to seek, and some people got it and some people didn't. But when you read John chapter 15, Jesus himself talks about how he abode in Christ. And you watch him in his life. He spent time in the presence of his father, listening to his father, praying to his father. His mind and heart was filled with the word of God. So, this tells us that this is a very important passage of scripture, because it gets down to the core essence of how you live the Christian life, and it is founded upon the reality of what it means to be a Christian. He's laid that out in the first three chapters, and we could summarize it this way. We are now in Christ. We are a new creation. We can no longer say, well, I can't do that. I don't feel like doing that. And that's where we find ourselves a lot of times. I can't do something, I don't feel like doing something, and we're either going to live by the Word of God or live by our emotions, live by our feelings, seek and experience, or live in the Word of God. They're just point after point after point here in Ephesians 4, 5, and 6, where the issue is, especially here in chapter 4, put off the old man. Put on the new man. It's not ethereal. It's not an experience. I'm not having to wait and do this and this and this. Then I can obey. It's just... Very plain here, he says, now here's a big one. Let's go back to verse 25. Putting away lying, see that's the put off. Speak the truth. That's the pattern here in Ephesians four. Put away that which is wrong, put on that which is right. Putting away lying, speak the truth with your neighbor. For we're members one of another. Now, typically when we're lying, we're lying to somebody. So put it away. Speak the truth. And I've said before, not originally with me, but the person we lie to most of all is ourselves. Okay. Verse 26. Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down on your wrath. And so, anger is a gift from God. God is angry, but not in the sense of sinful anger. He stands against that which is wrong, that which harms others. And so we're to be angry at the sin. The person who sinned against us, our temptation is to be angry against them and put ourselves in an elite position above them. We would never do that. But for the grace of God, we'd be doing what they're doing. And so to be angry and sin not. So there are larger issues if somebody's If the temptation for me is to be angry, most likely I'm going to have a situation where I'm called upon to do what? To forgive and to pull in Romans 12, or is it 14? I think it's 12. If you have an enemy, now if you have an enemy, that's someone you can get mad at, right? If you have an enemy, love him, bless him, Pray for him, do good, do not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. This is foundational principle everywhere you turn in living the Christian life, putting off the old man, putting on the new man. And that's what the Holy Spirit will bless, because that's what the Holy Spirit has pinned for us. And he will quicken his written word to us. This is the written truth. He is the spirit of truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And so we're talking about truth. Somebody help me with Luther's statement. Feelings come and feelings go and they are deceiving and all else is worthy but the word of God and I'm hanging my hat there. That's a paraphrase. But we are creatures of feelings and emotions and that's the first thing that wants to jump to the forefront. And so we start thinking based on what we're feeling unless we bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ and then our thinking is transformed and out of our feelings and thinking comes our actions and our choices and our decisions. And so we have to ask ourselves, am I thinking according to the word of God? Is this true? Is this from the Lord? So one of the things in the warfare you don't want to do is you don't want to come to me and tell me your feelings of how much Joe hurt you. Because I love you and I'm not really close to Joe, and so you're hoping that I'm gonna take your side. And I might do that. And unwittingly or wittingly, You leave out a few points, which would have changed the whole situation. And I make a decision based on what you told me, and now I go away feeling worse about Joe than I ever did. And I'm in more danger than you are. I've taken about an offense and I don't know the whole story. I've told you before, I got to the point when meeting with couples, I'd listen to their story. Ma'am, tell me what y'all's situation is. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Sir, you're in. Then I would say, I want you to know I believe every word you said. First of all. Second of all, I don't believe a thing you said. Because I wasn't there. And the scripture says, every man will proclaim his own goodness. Intentionally or not, you left out some things, or else you wouldn't be telling such a different story about the same event. And so, again, this is a powerful section of scripture. It's very plain. It's not based on seeking and experience. It's rooted in the gospel of who we are in Christ, meditate upon, hide, have the first three chapters of this epistle written deeply in your heart where you are rejoicing in your salvation and rejoicing in who Christ is. That's what it is, yeah. And I've gone I've gone over this a number of times. I don't get to a point to where I don't need it. But we're talking about Christ being our life. Our life is in Christ. He is our life. And so when we are facing the kind of things we're talking about, Satan comes on. And here's another side journey. Well, the devil has given me a hard time. That's a cop-out. Now, there may be some truth to that, but it's not the truth, and the solution to winning this battle is not to focus on the devil. He is limited to influence and suggestion. He did not make Adam and Eve sin. As a believer, he has no power to make you sin, If I sin and when I sin, I may well have been listening to the devil as he dangles the world in front of me, as he dangles thoughts and impressions that he invites me to take, and bless your heart, you are having a rough time, and they don't understand you, and they're treating you badly, blah, blah, blah, blah. He may be involved in all that, but the solution is not to listen to him. The solution, James 4, 7, submit yourself to God, resist the devil, he'll flee. What's the first thing? Submit yourself to God. That's where it's at. It's all in the old trinocars of times past. I don't know if they're still in San Francisco or not, but the concept of the trinocar is there's movement when there's connection. Now, we never cease to have connection with Christ. But forward movement in the faith is experienced as we are rooted and grounded in Him, as we are being continuously filled with the Holy Spirit, which is Colossians 3.16 says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, same truth. And that's the spiritual connection. That's the same connection. The man Christ Jesus, tempted in all points as we yet without sin, had greater impact of pressure against him than we've ever imagined, but he never wavered because he was constant in his fellowship with his Father. Okay, so again in Ephesians 4 here, be angry and sin not. Don't let the sin go down on your wrath. Phyllis paraphrases, never go to bed angry. Well, I'm waiting for them to act first. They started it. Well, take responsibility for your action. Leave the other person with God. Then he's, in verse 27, neither give place to the devil. Don't leave a loophole for the devil. Going all the way back to Genesis, it's very easy to see how this happens. Satan will call into question the word of God. That's the very first night. Has God said? Our God knows in the day And he's not opposed to using the word of God for his own ends. He loves to do that. And so we must know the scriptures. When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus would immediately pull up the shield of faith. Boom. Then Satan started quoting scripture out of context. But because Jesus was in fellowship with his father, he was not pulled off guard by that. You know, living the Christian life is serious business. You can't live it in passivity, you can't live it just coasting. I have an old man, you say, well, I don't like the concept. Well, it's like there are two dogs fighting and whichever one you feed is gonna win out. No, I'm a new creation. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. I have in Christ and through Christ all that I need to live a victorious Christian life. I am not striving for victory. I am living out the victory that I have in Christ. I'm not needing God to do something for me that he's not already done or provide something for me he's not already provided. I need to simply walk by faith, which is to walk by obedience. Your feet, you take your shoes and socks off and put a plug over your nose and Look at the bottom, your feet have names. Surrender and faith. Obedience and faith. And that's how we walk. And God told Joshua, here's a land of promise. And every place where the sole of your foot goes down will be yours. God had already given it to Israel, but in living the life of faith, It became theirs in reality as they walked in obedient faith. Surrender in faith, surrender in faith. And that's what we're called upon here. We're learning, here's what to put off, here's what to put on, here's the place. You say, well, the devil's giving me a hard time. Well, don't let him. Why are you letting him? Why are you listening to him? He said, well that sounds kind of harsh. Truth is not harsh, but it is truth and it's freeing. Stop listening to him. I need to tell myself this. Have you ever had a time in your life, and I can go back to when I was in junior college, I was in love with someone I thought I was going to marry. And when that fell apart, I have no idea how close to suicide I came, but I didn't want to live. I really did not want to live. Satan is a thief and a liar and a murderer and he hates your guts. And I was listening to a lot of his without even recognizing it. I was not very spiritually minded. I was not walking by faith. I was walking in emotions. I was thinking about me. And God in his mercy kept me. But boy, I'm sure many of you can look back at points in your life when you look back and you say, wow, wow. God undertook, wow. I was holding on by a slender thread, but somehow in the grace of God, I cling to Christ. Now, we've often used verse 28, because this is just so plainly. Any of you are just a natural-born kleptomaniac? Let him that stole steal no more. So here you are, a new Christian, and you're discipling a new Christian. Well, pastor, I want you to know that all my life I've stole. So what's the first thing I need to tell you? Don't do it! Stop it! But I've done it all my life. Stop it. Not pray about it. Stop it. It's wrong. It's God. Stop it. That's the old man. You're not there anymore. Confess who you are now. But that's not all. but rather let him labor, working with his hands that which is good that he may have to give to him that needs." Take on a whole new philosophy of life. Put off the old man, put on the new man. Many times in our spiritual battles, We stop short of deliverance because we have a focus of just, it's wrong, it's wrong, I know it's wrong, I won't do it, I will never do it again, and you stop there. Now by the grace of God, I've never been addicted to nicotine. I've been around enough people to know. I'm amazed, there are people that when I got saved, boom, never a problem again. Others, they struggle. for many years, and some continue to struggle. It's something, there's something in most or all of our lives that has an easier time in getting a grip on us like an octopus wrapping around us, whereas somebody else says, well, that's a piece of cake. But for you, it's mortal combat. And God will use that very thing to make you or I dependent upon Him to know that without Him we can do nothing, as Jesus said, John 15, 5. And as Paul said, the other side of it, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And again, one of the reasons why it's so vital to focus on the life of Christ when he's here on earth, because Jesus himself said, without my Father, I can do nothing. Jesus lived his entire life on earth, dependent upon his Father for all things. There are people who are not Christians, and they have deep habits, and they go through various disciplines and they quit and they retrain their mind. The human brain has incredible capacities. Now as a Christian, you're not just on that plane. You're on a deeper plane and you have more resources. You're not limited to what you can discipline yourself to do. The Christian life is not without discipline. We of course will use that empowered by the Holy Spirit. But so there are psychological tentacles, there are spiritual tentacles, there are physiological tentacles. And so in Christ we have the wealth and the resources to win them all. But not without a fight. This is why we say the person we lie to most is ourselves. Well, I can't do this. I tried and I can't do it. I failed and so I quit. And so I'm not gonna try again. That's human thinking. That's not biblical thinking. We've said many times, and I think we need to say it again, we live in a time where one of the things that is drowning many men is pornography. I read, just scanned through reports this week of, I think one or both of these pastors were in Arkansas. One was Assembly of God and one was Baptist. One of the men was 86 years old and is now in prison for sexually abusing a minor. Another report, this was not stated to be a Christian, but a report of a man who sexually abused a three-year-old and then brutally murdered. Now, he's no longer with us because his fellow prisoners ended his life. Now, this is not something we need to rejoice in, but You know, he only got a 20-year sentence for raping and brutally murdering a three-year-old. 20-year sentence. But this is the world we live in. And we have got to recognize the potentiality of the old man. This is no play fight. This is real war. For somebody else, they spend their whole life in bitterness, resentment. I'm an old hand at that. And I still remember A fellow who drove up here in 1976 in a Cadillac about as long as this room. He was a successful businessman. I didn't know all this up front. His first wife had been brutally murdered. And it was all over Detroit newspapers. And ultimately they would discover that one of his own sons, who'd come back from Vietnam all messed up, was the one who did it. And he was in business with a fellow that he had led to Christ and had discipled, and their business was just, they'd paid an incredible price to get it going. And now his partner says, buy or sell. He had no way to buy, so he had to sell. Within a year, his ex-partner was a millionaire. This man, I can't call his name right now, but he became one incredibly bitter man. And the story that he was here giving us was how an apostle of bitterness became an apostle of love, using the word apostle with a small letter a. And it was the grace of God. But so it can be a sensuous thing or it can be an attitudinal thing, but we're in a war zone and there is no option to recognizing something for what it is. It's wrong, it's against God, it's gotta go. And then here's what to replace it with. All is an act of worship to Jesus. Here's another stumbling block. Well, but you don't know what they've done to me. That's not the point. I know what he's done for you. and He is worthy, regardless of what they have done, here's your God-given assignment, go home. And walk in obedience and faith as an act of worship to Him. Father, we are in sacred territory here. This is nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts. It's where we live. It's a war zone where we all face. We've got different things on our plate. but we all have it. And Father, we bless you. We don't have to battle this in our own flesh, in our own strength, leaning to our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge you, and you shall direct our paths. We thank you, Father, for deliverance in Christ. And Father, for whatever is on the plate of each one here, It's a place where there has been incredible defeat, discouragement, despair. May this be a fresh start today of believing the truth, confessing the truth, acting upon the truth. The truth sets us free. We bless you and praise you and thank you in Jesus' precious name. Amen.