Colossians 3:5–11

Putting Off the Old, Putting On the New

Colossians 3:5–11

Introduction

Last week, Paul lifted our eyes to the throne of Christ. He reminded us that if we have been raised with Christ, then our lives are hidden in Him, secure and destined for glory. That was the call to seek the things above.

But Paul never leaves us floating in the clouds. He brings the gospel down into the dirt of everyday life. If you belong to Christ, if you are hidden with Him, then the way you live here and now must look different.

Here in Colossians 3:5–11, Paul tells us plainly: you can’t cling to the old self and walk in the new. The old has to die. The new has to live. You put off the grave clothes, and you put on Christ.

Exposition

Verse 5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” Paul doesn’t say manage sin, or excuse it, or hide it. He says put it to death. That’s warfare language. The Christian life is not sin-tolerance, it’s sin-execution. He names them: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Every one of these is a rival god. They promise life, but they bring death. They demand loyalty, but they enslave. Paul says: don’t make peace with them, crucify them.

Verse 6 – “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” Sin isn’t harmless. It isn’t “just who I am.” It provokes the holy anger of God. The same wrath that once fell on Sodom and Egypt, the same wrath poured out at the flood—that wrath is coming for all who cling to sin instead of Christ. This is not scare tactic, this is sobering truth.

Verse 7 – “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.” Paul reminds them—and us—that this used to be our story. We lived in sin. It defined us. But not anymore. Grace has changed us. You were there once, but you are not there now. Don’t go back to the graveyard once Christ has raised you from the dead.

Verses 8–9 – “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk… Do not lie to one another…” Paul widens the lens. It’s not only the obvious sins of the body—it’s the sins of the tongue and the temper. Anger that festers. Words that wound. Lies that fracture trust. These are just as much “earthly things” that must be put off. They don’t belong in the new family of God.

Verses 10–11 – “…put on the new self, which is being renewed… Here there is not Greek and Jew… but Christ is all, and in all.” Christianity is not just subtraction, but addition. Not only the “put off” but the “put on.” The new self is being renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ. That’s Genesis language—Christ is restoring what was lost in the fall.

And in this new humanity, all the old dividing lines crumble. Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free—all are leveled at the foot of the cross. Christ is all, and in all. He is the new identity of His people.

Application

Sin must be killed, not managed. Don’t domesticate sin. Don’t put it on a leash and pretend you’re in control. If you keep it in the house, it will destroy you. Paul’s command is not “tame it” but “kill it.” And remember, the enemy is crafty—the tempter whispers that sin is harmless, that you can keep it nearby without consequence. But those whispers are lies from the pit. To entertain them is to invite destruction. Kingdom living means standing guard against the deceiver, refusing his schemes, and bringing every thought captive to Christ. And here is where we must think carefully: when we yield to sin—even in small ways—we grant the enemy a legal foothold in our lives, a ground he can exploit. The way to cancel that foothold is not by excuses, but by confession and repentance—naming the sin, agreeing with God about it, and pleading the blood of Christ over it. We don’t negotiate with sin or Satan—we resist, we repent, we put it to death, and we cling to the One who has already triumphed over the darkness.

God’s wrath is real. Don’t gloss over this. God’s holiness means He will not ignore sin. If you are in Christ, that wrath has already been satisfied at the cross. But if you are not, the wrath remains. This should sober us and stir us to worship Christ who bore it for us. And it should also move us to speak. If the wrath is real, then love demands that we warn others and point them to the only refuge—Christ Himself. To come to Him is not half-hearted, it is total submission to the King. Evangelism, then, is not just an invitation to add Jesus on top of life, but a call to lay down life entirely and find new life under His rule.

Remember your story. Verse 7 reminds us that “you once walked” in these sins. That’s past tense. That’s who you were. Don’t live like a slave when Christ has set you free. Remember your rescue, and walk in the newness of grace. And let this remembrance fuel your testimony. Share with others what Christ has done—how He broke the chains of sin in your life, how the realization of His mercy changed everything. Tell them that what He has done for you He can do for anyone who calls upon Him in repentance and faith. Your story becomes a witness to the power of the gospel, pointing others to the same freedom and newness of life you now walk in.

Guard your tongue and your temper. Sometimes we focus on “big sins” and ignore the daily poison of anger, slander, gossip, and lies. But Paul puts them on the same level. That gossip is just as sinful as immorality or idolatry, because it tears down the body and grieves the Spirit. These so-called “little sins” open legal ground for the accuser, hinder prayer, and choke out spiritual vitality. The tongue can destroy faster than anything else—James calls it a fire that sets the whole course of life ablaze. What we say reveals what rules our hearts. Christ must rule our speech.

Put on the new. Christianity is not just about what you stop doing—it’s about what you start becoming. You put off lust, anger, lies. But you put on compassion, humility, patience, love (which Paul will unfold in the next verses). Christ is forming His own image in you. And when you focus on who you are and who you are becoming in Christ, the old patterns begin to lose their grip. As you set your mind on putting on the new, the old ways naturally dissipate, because the light of Christ drives out the darkness. Daily habits of Scripture reading, prayer, and worship keep your heart clothed with Him so that the old garments of sin have no place to cling.

See each other through the cross. In Christ, all the walls come down. Ethnic walls, social walls, cultural walls. What unites us is not background, class, or politics—it’s Christ. He is all, and in all. That changes how we view each other in the body. Paul even names the Scythians—people viewed as the roughest, most uncivilized outsiders of the ancient world. To the Greeks, they were barbarians of the worst sort. Yet in Christ, even they are brought near. Today, the question is the same: when we see someone different from us—different in skin color, background, culture, class, or even ability—how do we respond? Do we laugh and mock, or do we recognize them as a fellow image bearer of the Most High? That includes the child with autism, the adult with disabilities, the person who struggles to communicate or process the world the way we do. The cross calls us to lay down pride and prejudice, and to embrace one another as one family in Christ, treating every believer with dignity and love.And we must also consider how we view the unbeliever. Even the most hardened, hostile, or hateful toward Christ is still made in God’s image. Though they deny Him, they bear His imprint. That means we cannot dehumanize them—we are called to speak truth, show love, and pray that they too might be brought near. The cross reminds us that while they remain enemies now, God’s grace is powerful enough to turn enemies into family.

Closing Gospel Call

Paul’s call is not “try harder.” It is “live out what is already true.” If you are in Christ, you have died with Him, you have been raised with Him, and your life is hidden with Him. So put sin to death. Put on the new self. Live as the new creation you already are.

But if you are not in Christ, hear the warning: the wrath of God is coming. You cannot manage your way out of judgment. But hear also the invitation: Christ bore that wrath for sinners like us. He was crucified for our impurity, our anger, our lies. He rose again to give us new life.

So turn to Him. Lay down your old self. Believe the gospel. And put on Christ today.

Transition to the Lord’s Supper

As we close, we now come to the Lord’s Table—a visible reminder of everything Paul has said. Here we remember that our old selves were crucified with Christ, and that our new life is bound up in Him. The bread points us to His body given for us. The cup proclaims His blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. This meal is not about our performance but about His finished work. And it is a table reserved for believers—those who have trusted in Christ and are walking in faith and repentance. As those who have put off the old and are being renewed in the new, we come humbly, gratefully, and expectantly.

I want you to bow your heads for a moment and speak to your Lord. Paul says in Corinthians to examine ourselves before eating the bread and drinking the cup. Take a silent moment now to reflect, confess, and prepare your heart to come to the table as one who belongs to Christ.

Prayer

Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Son, whose body was broken and whose blood was poured out for our salvation. As we take this bread and this cup, remind us that our lives are hidden with Christ in You. Strengthen us to put off the old, to put on the new, and to walk in the unity of the body, until the day when we feast with Him in glory. Amen.