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In this message we shall see that the church as the new man needs to be put on by the believers.
Ephesians 4:24a and Colossians 3:10a both speak of putting on the new man. Although the new man has already been created, we still need to put him on. We need to put on the new man who has already been created in Christ. This new man is the Body of Christ. Hence, to put on the new man means to live a life by the Body. Before our salvation, we were living in the old man, in the old society, but now we are members of Christ, living in His Body. We should put off the old man with the old social life and put on the new man, the church. In this new man there is nothing natural, nothing of social rank, for everyone is full of Christ. Christ is everyone and is in everyone (Col. 3:10-11). There is nothing but Christ in the new man. Our life is Christ, our living is Christ, our intention is Christ, our ambition is Christ, our will is Christ, our love is Christ, and everything else about us is Christ. He saturates our entire being.
According to Ephesians 4:17-32, the new man lives a life by grace and truth. These are the two main factors in the living of the new man to fulfill God’s purpose. God needs such a new man on earth to fulfill His purpose, to carry out His intention.
The believers put on the new man by the renewing in the spirit of their mind. In Ephesians 4:23 Paul says that we are being 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 in Ephesians 4:23 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 implies a process of metabolic transformation. As this process takes place, the mingled spirit spreads into 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 through baptism. The putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man are actually accomplished facts. Now we need to experience and realize these facts by being renewed in the spirit of our mind.
The way to put on the new man is for the spirit, which is mingled with the Spirit, to become the spirit of our mind. Our mind dominates and directs our whole being. For the spirit to become the spirit of our mind means that the spirit directs, controls, dominates, and possesses our mind. When the spirit directs our mind, it governs our entire being. When this is the case, our being is under the control of the spirit. It is in this spirit of our mind that we are renewed, and by means of this spirit we put on the new man experientially.
It is crucial for us to see that the new man has already been created and, by regeneration, has been put into our spirit. The need now is for our spirit to become the dominant part of our being. This means that our spirit mingled with the Spirit of God must become the spirit of our mind. If our spirit is the spirit of our mind, then all our living will be by the spirit, and whatever we do will be according to the spirit. This spirit of our mind will then become the renewing spirit. As we are renewed by this spirit, we put on the new man.
How much in experience we put on the new man depends on how much our spirit directs our being. Therefore, experientially speaking, putting on the new man does not take place once for all. On the contrary, it is a life-long matter, a gradual process that goes on throughout our Christian life. When we were regenerated, the new man, created with Christ as the divine essence, was put into our spirit. Now day by day we need to put on this new man by permitting the spirit to control our being and renew our mind. Every time part of our mind is renewed, we put on a little more of the new man. Hence, the more we are renewed through the spirit controlling our mind, the more of the new man we put on.
Ephesians 2:15 says that the new man was created, but Colossians 3:10 says that the new man is “being renewed unto full knowledge.” Although Ephesians and Colossians are sister books, what they say concerning the new man is not exactly the same. How can we say that, on the one hand, the new man has been created and that, on the other hand, the new man is being renewed? Because the new man was created with us who belong to the old creation, he needs to be renewed. This renewing takes place mainly in our mind, as indicated by the phrase “unto full knowledge.” In our spirit the new man has already been created. Before the new man was created in our spirit in resurrection, we did not have the Spirit of God or the life of God within us. Although we had a spirit, our spirit did not contain the divine life. But when the new creation took place in our spirit in resurrection, the Holy Spirit with the divine life was added into our being. This addition of the Spirit and the divine life to our spirit produced a new being, a new man. For this reason, we can say that in our spirit the new man has been created.
However, there is still the need for renewing in our soul and even in our body. Our mind, which represents our soul, needs to be renewed. Eventually, when our body is transfigured, it also will be renewed. Therefore, our spirit has been regenerated, but our soul is being renewed. On the one hand, in our spirit the new man was created with new elements, the elements of the divine life and the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, in our soul the new man is being renewed.
In Colossians 3:10 Paul says that the new man is being renewed unto full knowledge “according to the image of Him who created him.” The image here refers to Christ, God’s Beloved, as the expression of God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). It was God the Creator who created the new man in Christ (Eph. 2:15).
Ephesians 4:24 indicates that the new man was created according to God directly. But Colossians 3:10 reveals that the new man is being renewed unto full knowledge, which is according to the image of God. Because the new man was created according to God, in a very real sense the new man is the same as God. Nevertheless, in our experience the new man must be renewed unto the full knowledge, that is, according to the image, the expression, of God who created him. The creation of the new man according to God has already been completed, but in our experience the new man is renewed unto full knowledge little by little. In this way the new man experienced by us becomes the expression of God. The more we put on the new man, the more we are renewed according to what God is, and the more we bear His image, the expression of what He is.
The more we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, the more the new man with the divine element will spread from our spirit into our soul. This spreading within us is according to Christ, who is the image of God, God’s expression. The more renewing that takes place in our soul, the more we shall be able to express God. In other words, the more renewing we experience in the soul, the more we shall have of the image of Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-20 reveals that the church, which is the new man, needs to fight against the enemy of God. Elsewhere we have pointed out that the church is a warrior. However, the warrior is not a status of the church but an aspect of the church as the new man. The new man has the obligation of fighting against God’s enemy. This is indicated in Genesis 1, where we are told that when God created the old man, He commissioned him to bear His image for His expression and to have His dominion for His representation to deal with the enemy. From this we see that in the old creation the old man had a twofold obligation. The new man in the new creation also has the twofold obligation of bearing God’s image to express Him and of fighting against God’s enemy. Therefore, the church as the new man is a warrior fighting against God’s enemy, for the new man is now fulfilling God’s purpose to express God and to fight against God’s enemy for God’s dominion, God’s kingdom.
In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says, “Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” “Blood and flesh” refers to human beings. Behind men of blood and flesh are the evil forces of the Devil, fighting against God’s purpose. Hence, our wrestling, our fighting, must not be against men but against the evil spiritual forces in the heavenlies. The principalities, the authorities, and the world-rulers of this darkness are the rebellious angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and who now rule in the heavenlies over the nations of the world. “This darkness” refers to today’s world, which is fully under the dark ruling of the Devil through his evil angels. “The world-rulers of this darkness” are the princes Satan has set up to rule the various nations. Because of the working of Satan, who is the authority of darkness, the earth and its atmosphere have become “this darkness.” “The spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies” are Satan and his spiritual forces of evil in the air. The warfare between the church and Satan is a battle between us who love the Lord and who are in His church and the evil powers in the heavenlies. We must fight against these spiritual forces.
In Ephesians 6:10 Paul says, “Be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength.” The Greek word translated “empowered” here has the same root as the word “power” in Ephesians 1:19. To deal with God’s enemy, to fight against the evil forces of darkness, we need to be empowered with the power that raised up Christ from the dead and seated Him in the heavens, far above all the evil spirits in the air. First we are empowered by the power that raised Christ from among the dead and made Him to be the Head over all things, and then we know God’s might and strength.
In 6:10 Paul charges us to be empowered “in the Lord.” The fact that we are to be empowered in the Lord indicates that in the spiritual warfare against Satan and his evil kingdom we can fight only in the Lord, not in ourselves. Whenever we are in ourselves, we are defeated.
The new man fights against God’s enemy not only by being empowered in the Lord but also by putting on the various attributes of Christ as the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11, 13-17). The whole armor of God is for the entire Body, not for any individual member of the Body. The church as the corporate new man is the warrior, and the believers together make up this new man. Only the corporate new man as the warrior can wear the whole armor of God; no individual believer can wear it. Therefore, we must fight the spiritual warfare not individually but in the Body, in the new man.
In Ephesians 6:14-17 we have the various attributes of Christ as the whole armor of God: the girdle of truth, or reality, the breastplate of righteousness, the firm foundation of the gospel of peace (the shoes), the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Of these six aspects of Christ as our armor, only the sword is for offensive warfare. All the other items are for defense.
Ephesians 6:14 says, “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” Truth refers to God in Christ as reality in our living, that is, God in Christ realized and expressed by us as our living. This is actually Christ Himself lived out by us (John 14:6). Such truth, such reality, is the girdle which strengthens our whole being for spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:14 also speaks of “the breastplate of righteousness,” which covers our conscience, signified by the breast. In fighting against Satan, our accuser, we need to have our conscience covered with the breastplate of righteousness. The righteousness which covers our conscience and guards us from Satan’s accusations is Christ Himself (1 Cor. 1:30). Therefore, we are covered by Christ as our righteousness.
Ephesians 6:15 says, “Having shod your feet with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace.” Our feet need to be shod in order to strengthen our stand in the battle. The phrase “the firm foundation of the gospel of peace” means the establishment of the gospel of peace. Christ made peace for us on the cross both with God and with man, and this peace has become our gospel (Eph. 2:13-17). This has been established as a firm foundation, as a readiness for our feet to be shod with. Thus, we shall have a firm footing that we may be able to fight the spiritual warfare. The peace for such a firm foundation is also Christ (Eph. 2:14). Christ is the peace for us to be one with God and the saints. This peace is the firm foundation that enables us to stand against the enemy.
Ephesians 6:16 continues, “With all these, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.” In order to quench these flaming darts, we need to take up the shield of faith. Faith comes after truth, righteousness, and peace. If we have truth in our living, righteousness as our covering, and peace as our standing, we shall spontaneously have faith as a safeguard against the flaming darts of the enemy. Christ is the Author and the Perfecter of such faith (Heb. 12:2).
In Ephesians 6:17a Paul says, “Receive the helmet of salvation.” This is for covering our mind against the negative thoughts directed at us by the evil one. Such a helmet, such a covering, is God’s salvation. This salvation is the saving Christ we experience in our daily life (John 16:33).
In verse 17b Paul tells us to receive also “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” The antecedent of “which” is Spirit, not sword. This indicates that the Spirit is the word of God, both of which are Christ (2 Cor. 3:17; Rev. 19:13). The Spirit is the sword itself, not the one who uses the sword, and the word of God also is a sword. The sword is the Spirit, and the Spirit is the word. Here we have three things that are one: the sword, the Spirit, and the word.
Ephesians 6:13 and 14 say, “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” To withstand is to stand against. In fighting, the most important thing is to stand. In fighting against God’s enemy, we need to be able to stand. Having done all, we still must stand.
Ephesians 6:18 begins with the phrase “By means of all prayer and petition.” This phrase modifies the predicate “receive” in verse 17. By prayer we receive both the helmet of salvation and the word of God. This indicates that we need to receive the word of God by means of all prayer and petition.
The modifier “by means of all prayer and petition” actually is related to all six items of the armor in verses 13 through 17. It is by means of all prayer and petition that we gird our loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, have our feet shod with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, and receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Prayer is the unique way to apply the armor of God.
The believers wrestle against the Devil and his spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies not only by being empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength and by putting on the whole armor of God, but also by “praying at every time in spirit, and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints” (v. 18). Here Paul specifically says that we are to pray in our spirit, that is, in our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God. This is the mingled spirit, our spirit mingled with God’s Spirit. Whenever we are in our spirit, we are also in the Holy Spirit, for our spirit is one with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). Therefore, Paul’s charge to pray in spirit implies that we should pray in the Spirit of God, for the Spirit and our regenerated spirit are mingled in us.
In Ephesians 6:18 Paul speaks of “watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.” This indicates that we need to be watchful, on the alert for this prayer life. Furthermore, we need to watch unto prayer in all perseverance, making petition concerning all the saints and the apostles (vv. 19-20). As the new man, we must watch and pray so that we may fulfill the negative side of God’s purpose to fight against His enemy.
