Breaking Free: The Journey from Old Man to New Creation

Apr 6
6 min read

There's a profound truth that often gets overlooked in our spiritual walk: when we were crucified with Christ, something radical happened. The old person—with all their baggage, failures, and limitations—was dealt with. Permanently. Yet many of us continue dragging that old identity into every new day, every prayer, every opportunity for growth.

The question we must ask ourselves is simple but piercing: Which version of me am I feeding?

Two Mindsets, One Choice

Scripture tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 not to worry about our lives—what we'll eat, drink, or wear. Instead, we're called to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." But this isn't just about provision; it's about perspective.

Every time we encounter God's Word, we stand at a crossroads. Will we move forward as the new creation, or will we retreat into the familiar territory of old thinking patterns? The new man and the old man have completely different appetites, different responses, different realities. Like windshield wipers, we often swing back and forth between these two mindsets, trying to determine which feels more comfortable—until we finally make a decision.

The uncomfortable truth is that comfort isn't the goal. Transformation is.

The Hidden Economy of Heaven

When we pray according to Scripture—asking God to do "exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think"—we often look for results that match our earthly understanding. We check our bank accounts. We count our blessings in currency we recognize.

But what if the kingdom operates on a different economy altogether?

Consider the law of tithing in Malachi. God promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings we cannot contain. But those blessings might not arrive as dollar bills. They might come as business ideas, creative breakthroughs, divine partnerships, or opportunities we would have missed if we were only looking for one type of provision.

The challenge is this: Will we trust the Lord enough to participate in His laws, even when the return doesn't look like we expected? Or will we retreat to the old man's mentality, trying to survive solely within the world's economic system while claiming citizenship in heaven's kingdom?

The Soul Must Prosper First

Here's where many of us stumble: we want the blessing now, but we resist the transformation required to steward it properly.

Third John 1:2 reveals a critical principle: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." Notice the connection—our external prosperity is linked to our soul's prosperity. This means that when we pray for breakthrough, God isn't just working on our circumstances. He's working on us.

That word we're standing on? It has to deal with our human spirit, our soul, our heart, and our mind. It has to uproot old belief systems and plant kingdom perspectives. This takes time. This requires patience. This demands we stop looking for the manifestation and start embracing the process.

When our souls prosper—when our minds are renewed and our hearts transformed—we can handle the blessing without it destroying us or pulling us away from God.

The Accuser's Only Weapon

Revelation 12:10 speaks of "the accuser of our brethren" who accuses them before God day and night. But here's something remarkable: the enemy only has one weapon in his arsenal—the past.

He can bring up a memory, a failure, a wound, or a regret. But we have to choose to dwell on it. When we do, the emotions return. The feelings resurface. And suddenly, we're recreating yesterday's bondage in today's freedom.

This is why recognizing our crucifixion with Christ is so vital. That old person is dead. Spiritually dead. The only thing keeping those patterns alive is our thought life. When we renew our minds to the truth of who we are now—new creations in Christ Jesus—the past loses its power.

The enemy knows whether we truly believe what we're speaking. He trembles when our words come from a heart fully persuaded. But he mocks when we merely recite scripture without heart conviction.

Seated in Heavenly Places

Ephesians 2:6 declares that we've been "raised up together, and made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." This isn't just poetic language—it's our positional reality.

While our physical bodies navigate earthly challenges, our spirits have been brought into direct fellowship with Christ in heaven. From this vantage point, we can see situations differently. We're not in the maze; we're above it, looking down with kingdom perspective.

And here's the liberating truth: there is no devil at the throne of God. When we maintain our connection to that heavenly position—when we live from that place rather than just pray to reach it—we operate from a position of authority the enemy cannot touch.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. He spent hours behind the tree in prayer, connecting with the Father, ensuring His divinity always rose above His humanity. Then He spent moments with people, speaking healing and deliverance from that place of divine connection.

We try to reverse this formula—spending moments in prayer and hours trying to manifest results. It doesn't work that way.

The Forward Focus

Galatians 6:1 gives us the new man's response to seeing others stumble: "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."

This is the litmus test of spiritual maturity. When we see someone fall, do we judge and gossip, or do we intercede and restore? The old man criticizes. The new man prays. The old man finds fault. The new man seeks redemption.

Every teaching, every scripture, every moment of conviction presents us with the same choice: Will I move forward from this point, or will I return to old patterns?

Walking in the newness of life means exactly that—walking forward. Not standing still, analyzing the past. Not circling back to what was already dealt with at the cross. Forward movement, step by step, scripture by scripture, revelation by revelation.

The Time Is Now

The reality is stark and sobering: we don't have unlimited time to keep playing with our spiritual inheritance. The call to maturity, to walking as true sons and daughters of God, isn't optional—it's urgent.

When we look back like Lot's wife, we become paralyzed in the present and abort our future. But when we fix our eyes ahead, recognizing that the old man is dead and we're now walking in resurrection life, everything changes.

The kingdom is here. The power is available. The authority has been given. The only question remaining is: Which mindset will we choose today?

Scripture References from Catechism

Explicitly Mentioned Scripture References:

Matthew 6:25-34 - "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink... Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness"
Malachi 3:10 - Tithing and bringing tithes into the storehouse; God opening windows of heaven
Galatians 6:1-5 - "If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness"
Hebrews 7:25 - Jesus always lives to make intercession for the saints
John 12:47 - The Son of God did not come to judge the world, but to save the world
Ephesians 2:6 - "We have been raised up and are seated with Christ in heavenly places"
Revelation 12:10 - "The accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night"
1 Timothy 5:19 - Accusations against an elder should not be received except on the basis of two or three witnesses
James 1:21 - Receive the engrafted word with meekness, laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness
Psalm 119:11 - "Hide the word in our hearts that we might not sin against you"
Romans 6 (implied) - Crucified with Christ, raised to walk in newness of life
2 Corinthians 5:17 (implied) - New creation in Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ"
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (implied) - "When I'm weak, He's strong"; glory in infirmities
Matthew 5:25 (implied) - "Agree with your adversary quickly"

Scripture Themes and Related Verses:

Old Man vs. New Man:

Romans 6:6 - "Our old man was crucified with Him"
Ephesians 4:22-24 - Put off the old man, put on the new man
Colossians 3:9-10 - Put off the old man with his deeds

Renewing of the Mind:

Romans 12:2 - "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind"
Ephesians 4:23 - "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind"

Knowing No Man After the Flesh:

2 Corinthians 5:16 - "We know no man after the flesh but after the spirit"

Kingdom Seeking:

Matthew 6:33 - "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness"

Mind of Christ:

1 Corinthians 2:16 - "We have the mind of Christ"
Philippians 2:5 - "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus"

Lot's Wife:

Genesis 19:26 - Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt
Luke 17:32 - "Remember Lot's wife"

Spiritual Warfare:

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - Casting down strongholds and imaginations
Romans 7:23 - Law in members warring against the mind

Fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23 - Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance

Prayer and Fasting:

Matthew 17:21 - Some things come out only by prayer and fasting

Sanctification:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 - Spirit, soul, and body preserved blameless