Ephesians 4:22-24
That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
How do we really worship the Father in Spirit and Truth as the Lord Jesus requires of us (John 4:23-24)? One way is to practice the “spiritual hygiene” principle.
First, we have to put off our “dirty clothes” as it were–our old man. That means discarding the sinful ways of thought and conduct of our former nature, which keep wanting to repossess our lives. Sometimes believers do the opposite of what we should do–clinging on to our lustful, prideful and fearful old man. God forbid! See also Rom 13:12, Col. 3:8-9.
Second, we must wash up, as it were. We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Our minds regularly need to be cleansed. They accumulate all sorts of harmful “viruses”, ideas, desires and behaviours. Let the detergent of the Word of God and the blood of the Lamb through the Holy Spirit purify and detox your mind. Such is the value of prayerful study and meditation on the Word of God. See Rom 12:2.
Thirdly, we must put on fresh new “clothes”–the new man. As we saw previously, that includes the spiritual habit of confessing what God says about us. We need to daily affirm our new nature in Christ through the Spirit. Just as we take off our dirty clothing daily, wash up and dress up in fresh clothes, so should we in the Spirit. That is how we reboot and refresh our inner man regularly.
Pastor Josh