What is the difference between the "old self" and "new self"?
Paul speaks of the "old self" — our identity in Adam, marked by sin — and the "new self" we put on in Christ. In him, we are not patched up but made new; the Christian life is learning to live who we already are.
Ephesians 4:22–24 calls believers "to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life… and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God."
This is not pretending. By union with Christ, you are no longer who you were. The "old self" was crucified with him; the "new self" is now your truest identity.
Daily growth is learning to act consistently with that new identity, by the Spirit. The struggle is not about becoming someone new but living out who, in Christ, we already are.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.