Replacing the Old Sinful Man
Derek Prince
Published: 2008
Last Updated: July 2026
Read Time: 2
Did you know God's plan to free you from sin is a complete, threefold provision that goes far beyond just forgiveness? The work of the Cross not only dealt with your past sins but also executed your old nature, empowering you to live as a new creation in Christ.
Providing complete deliverance from the tyranny of sin required a threefold provision of God. First of all, He had to deal with our sins—the sinful acts we have all committed. Because Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins on the cross, God can forgive us without compromising His own justice. His first provision, therefore, is forgiveness.
Then, God also had to deal with the corrupt nature within us that caused us to go on committing those sinful acts. His provision was execution—to put that sinful nature to death. The good news is that the execution took place more than nineteen centuries ago, when Jesus died on the cross.
That not the end, however. God’s purpose is to replace the old, sinful man with a new man of His own creating. Paul explained this provision in the book of Ephesians, saying:
“Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man... and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and... put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22–24)
We should not assume, however, that the old man will passively accept his sentence of execution. On the contrary, he will struggle—fiercely, at times—to regain his control over us. This explains Paul’s words of warning in Colossians 3:3, where he said, “For you died.” Then, in verse 5, he said, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth.” We must stand in faith that the death of our old man is an accomplished fact, and we must actively resist his attempts to regain control over us.
*Prayer Response
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that on the cross, Jesus put my sinful nature to death, replacing it with a new nature. I actively resist my old man’s attempts to regain control over me, proclaiming that I have been forgiven and set free from my sins. Amen.
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Code: WD-B097-157-ENG