Ephesians 4:24 tells Christians to put on the new self, the renewed identity God has made for them, which reflects God’s own likeness in true righteousness and holiness. Paul wrote this to the believers in Ephesus, a church made up of people who had come to faith in Jesus, and he addressed them as people who had already been changed and were now being called to live like it.
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 says to take off the old self, the way of life shaped by deceit and desire. Here he says to put on the new self, like putting on a fresh set of clothes. The new self is not something you manufacture on your own. It has already been created, which points to God’s work as the source of the change.
The phrase “in the likeness of God” describes the goal of that new life. People are being shaped to resemble their Creator, reflecting his character in how they think, speak and act. Paul then names two qualities of that character: righteousness, which means doing what is right and just, and holiness, which means being set apart for God’s purposes. He adds “of truth,” meaning these qualities are grounded in what is real and in line with God’s word, not in shifting opinion.
The verse does not promise that a believer will never struggle or fall. Paul is describing a direction and an identity, and the surrounding verses show that living it out takes daily choices, such as speaking truthfully and letting go of anger. The verse gives confidence that the change is real, and it invites you to live in line with it.
The Context of Ephesians 4:24
Ephesians is traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul, written while he was in prison, and it was likely sent to churches in and around Ephesus in the Roman province of Asia. Its first three chapters focus on what God has done in Christ, raising believers with him and uniting Jews and Gentiles into one body. Chapter 4 then turns to practice, asking how that new identity should look in community.
Verse 24 belongs to a short passage that contrasts old and new. Verses 21 and 22 describe the old way of life, and verse 23 speaks of being renewed in the mind. Verses 25 through 27 then give concrete examples, including speaking truth to a neighbor and handling anger without letting it turn into sin. Reading the verse inside this sequence shows that the new self is expressed in ordinary relationships, not only in private feelings.
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)
Colossians uses similar language about the new self being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator. Reading it alongside Ephesians 4:24 shows that the renewal is tied to knowing God more fully, and that the image being restored is the one he first intended for humanity.
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
(WEB)
Paul writes here that believers are being transformed from one degree of glory to another as they behold the Lord. This connects with Ephesians 4:24 by describing the same process of becoming more like Christ, with the emphasis placed on gazing at God as the means of change.
A Short Prayer From Ephesians 4:24
Father, you have made me new in Christ, and I thank you that the change you began is not dependent on my strength. Show me the old habits I still carry around, and give me the courage to set them aside. Help me put on the new self in the ordinary moments of this day, especially where I am tempted to be dishonest, impatient or unkind.
Shape my character so that it reflects your righteousness and holiness, grounded in your truth. Let my words and actions point others toward you. Keep me close to your word, and remind me that my identity rests in what you have done. Amen.
