We’re still mulling over this passage from First Peter:

“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:1-3).

Let’s talk today about the opposite of laying aside. What would that be? We are to lay aside certain things, and we are to put on or take on other things. Getting rid of old thought-patterns and habits without putting something in their place puts us at risk. The Bible usually explains both in the same passage. This concept, too, is worth meditating on in order to help your spiritual growth as a Christian man, no matter your physical age.

Here are a few of those passages for your meditation this week. I’ve summarized them. You should look up the passages and read them in context.

Ephesians 4:22–24 – Put off the old self, corrupted by deceitful desires; be renewed in the spirit of your mind; put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness. This one reminds me of the fact that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17.

Colossians 3:5–14 – Paul first tells them to “put to death” what belongs to the earthly nature (sexual immorality, greed, anger, etc.), then to “put off” anger, malice, slander (v. 8), and explicitly: “You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self” (v. 9–10). He then lists the virtues to put on — compassion, kindness, humility, patience, love (v. 12–14).

Romans 13:12–14 – “Let us put cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” 

May I encourage each of you, whether you are a new Christian or have been saved for decades, take time to meditate on these things. They will help strengthen your walk of faith.