Ephesians 4:24 tells believers to put on a new self, one that has been made like God in true righteousness and holiness. Paul is urging Christians to live out the change that has already taken place in them, rather than returning to the patterns of their old life. The words come from the apostle Paul, traditionally identified as the author of the letter, and they are addressed to the church in Ephesus and to Christians who share its faith.
And put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Ephesians 4:24 (WEB)
What Ephesians 4:24 Means
The verse uses the picture of clothing. Just before it, Paul speaks of taking off the old self, like removing a worn-out coat, and now he says to put on the new self, like dressing in fresh clothes. The point is that the change is meant to be visible in how a person thinks, speaks and acts. The new self is described as created, which means it is God’s work and not a self-improvement project, and it is shaped after God’s likeness.
The phrase “righteousness and holiness of truth” names the qualities of this new life. Righteousness concerns right conduct and being set right with God and others, while holiness concerns being set apart for God. The phrase “of truth” ties both qualities to the reality of who God is and to the truth of the gospel Paul has been describing.
The verse does not promise that Christians will never struggle, and it does not describe the new self as finished or flawless in this life. It describes a direction and an identity. Paul is calling believers to live consistently with what God has already done in them.
The Context of Ephesians 4:24
Ephesians is a letter that moves from the great truths of God’s grace in the first three chapters to practical instructions for daily life in the last three. Chapter 4 begins with a call to walk worthy of the calling believers have received, and it stresses unity, growth and maturity in the body of Christ. Verse 24 sits in the middle of a passage about leaving behind deceit, anger, theft and bitterness.
The verses around it make the meaning clearer. Paul first speaks of putting away the old self that grows corrupt through deceitful desires, then speaks of being renewed in the spirit of your mind, and then of putting on the new self. Immediately afterward he says to put away falsehood and speak truth with your neighbor, showing that the new self is expressed in honest, loving relationships. Reading the verse alongside these lines shows that the new self is not an inward feeling alone but a way of living that touches every relationship.
Key Phrases in Ephesians 4:24
Colossians 3:10
And have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator…
(WEB)
Paul uses similar language in Colossians, describing the new self being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Reading it beside Ephesians 4:24 shows that the new self is continually being shaped toward God’s likeness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
(WEB)
This verse speaks of a person in Christ being a new creation, with the old things passing away. It helps explain why Paul can speak of the new self as something already created, while still calling believers to live it out.
A Short Prayer From Ephesians 4:24
Father, thank you for making me new in Christ. I confess that I often reach for the habits of my old life, especially when I am tired, afraid or hurt. Help me to put on the new self you have created, with righteousness and holiness that are rooted in your truth. Show me where I need to speak honestly, act justly and respond with grace today. Shape my heart to look more like you, and give me the courage to live what you have already made true in me. Amen.
