Slander has to be put off at all cost. What we say against men has to be thoroughly examined by the Word of God and removed properly from our lives. We should put on Christ. He should be what our lives reflect and glorify. But the question sadly becomes do we do this? Are we lavishing in the waters of talking about folks. It can become difficult to wage war against the flesh that enjoys destroying a person because of what they have said or done to you; or even what they’ve said and done to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let even your zeal put off slander!!!

Don’t you and I want a life that is marked by righteousness; the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ? Then we must understand how to defeat slander, how do we destroy the very enemy that has destroyed us? Our answer is further expounded upon here in this part of the text:

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, youlay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

THIRD ROUTE: DROP OFF DROPON

The believer is to lay aside the old man. Remember this old nature has been crucified with the Lord Jesus (Romans 6:6); even though its fleshly remnants linger upon Christians. The disciple should at all cost lay aside slander in every way possible. Don’t give the former talk opportunity, put it aside, dust that thing off or strip it away. Apotithemi (lay aside) means literally to take an object away from its normal residency and put it out of the way. Like the dust on a bible, we must allow the Spirit of God to blow from our mouths the vilest of slander. This laying aside is similar to what the men did to Stephen when they stoned him in Acts 7. Stephen was driven out of the city as these men laid aside their garments at the feet of young Paul. Take the slander infecting your walk with Christ, and drive it out of position. Avoid getting into conversations with men who slander, or better yet don’t even entertain an individual who is known for the slandering of others, especially those who crave internet popularity (1 Corinthians 15:33, Romans 16:17-18, Titus 3:9-11, 1 Peter 3:10). Drop off and move out of position, anything that hints at slander in your life. Keeping slander in your ministry can be detrimental to the advancement of the Gospel. Ministries have plummeted because of the grievous words of an individual. It’s best to avoid people who stir up such drama. What do we do then?

Well, since are mind is being renewed by God’s Spirit, after we put off, the next step for the believer is to then put on. Put on what? Well first of all, a mistake which sometimes arises is we grab slander right back. We see slander sitting all by itself and think how sweetly it would be to return to such foolishness. Instead, we need to put on the implications from Verse 24:

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth

The new nature Jesus Christ has graced us with is what we are to apply in our lives. Enduo (put on) means to literally clothe or dress someone and to cause to get into a garment (cf. Luke 15:22). We are to be clothed in the new nature because this new man is in the likeness of Yahweh. This man is built to live the holy life. Instead of grabbing slander back, look for the new man. Grab the man who goes hard after pleasing the father. John Eadie says about the new man…

The “new man” is in contrast with the “old man,” and represents that new assemblage of holy principles and desires which have a unity of origin, and a common result of operation.

John MacArthur’s Ephesians Commentary speaks on "New Self" saying:

The word new (kainos) does not mean renovated but entirely new—new in species or character. The NEW SELF is new because it has been created in the likeness of God. The Greek is literally, “according to what God is”—a staggering statement expressing the wondrous reality of salvation. Those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord are made like God! Peter says we become “partakers of the divine nature”. Many rescue missions have a delousing room, where derelicts who have not had a bath in months discard all their old clothes and are thoroughly bathed and disinfected. The unsalvageable old clothes are burned and new clothes are issued. The clean man is provided clean clothes. That is a picture of salvation, except that in salvation the new believer is not simply given a bath but a completely new nature. The continuing need of the Christian life is to keep discarding and burning the remnants of the old sinful clothing. The many therefore’s and wherefores in the New Testament usually introduce appeals for believers to live like the new creatures they are in Christ. Because of our new life, our new Lord, our new nature, and our new power, we are therefore called to live a correspondingly new life–style. (MacArthur, J: Commentary on Ephesians, Moody Press)

This new man can be trusted because it was made in the image of Christ. This new nature operates on the power of the Gospel, and not on the impulses to slander. And so, accordingly the believer must put off the old self and place on the new self.

My admonishment to you is to refrain from slander. Drop off the old cob webs of speaking evil against men. Place on yourself the one who will follow after the Spirit of God. Indulge your mind into the Word of God, the bible. Stop listening to people that do nothing but destroy lives and keep drama regenerated. Put on the new man, don’t fulfill the lust to slander.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (1 Peter 2:1)

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. (Psalms 15:1-3)

David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? (1 Samuel 24:9)

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond [nor] free: but Christ [is] all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye. And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:8-17)