When your spirit is raised from the dead and you are born again it’s very important to feed your spirit. Your spirit needs to grow up and mature so that your spirit reigns in your life instead of your flesh. For years the flesh reigned as king in your life. You were a slave of your (agasala) flesh and lived in the bondage of sin and death. O lea la, as is written in Ephesians 4:22, it’s time to put off the old man and to put on the new man, who is created after the image of God and born of the Holy Spirit. What does this mean and how do you put off the old man according to the Bible?
..The old man and what Jesus said about the old man and his nature, galuega, and lifestyle is discussed in the previous article..
O ai le toeaina?
The old man is carnal and lives after the flesh (agaga ma le tino) and led by his senses, lagona, lagona, mafaufauga faaletino, atamai, tu'inanauga, manaoga, ma isi.
Ua mate le agaga o le toeaina. Since the spirit in the old man is dead, the old man is unspiritual, sense ruled, and led by his carnal mind. Therefore the old man can’t see the Kingdom of God nor comprehend the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God. (Faitau foi: Faʻafefea ona e vaʻai i le Malo o le Atua?).
Because the old man can’t see the Kingdom of God and can’t comprehend the things of the Kingdom of God, they are foolishness to him.
Faith in Christ changes your life
When you believe in Jesus the Messiah and accept Jesus as your Saviour and salamo and make Him the Lord over your life, you made a choice to lay down your flesh in which sin and death reign.
No one force you to believe, repent and follow Jesus. You have made the choice to say farewell to your life as a sinner, ma ana agasala uma ma amioletonu. Therefore you shall no longer live the way, you lived before your repentance, but you will start a whole new life in Jesus Christ; a life after the Spirit and not after the flesh anymore.
What happens when you are baptized?
Pe a papatisoina oe i le vai, you symbolically lay down your former life; the old man with all his sins and iniquities and are raised in newness of life.
O lea ua tanumia ai i tatou i le papatisoga i le oti: Pei ona o le a le toe faʻatuina mai o Keriso mai le oti e le mamalu o le Tama, E faapena foi ona tatou savavali i le fou o le olaga. Aua afai ua tatou totoina faatasi i le foliga o lona maliu, E faapei foi i tatou i le faatusa o lona toe soifua mai: Iloaina lenei, na faasatauroina le matou toeaina ma ia, o le tino o le agasala e ono faatafunaina, o le taimi nei tatou te le tatau ai i le agasala. Aua o le ua maliu e faasaolotoina mai le agasala (Roma 6:4-7)
You can’t become the new creation before the old creation died. (Faitau foi: E mafai ona e ola i le toe tu le toe ola e aunoa ma le oti?)
E ala i le papatisoga, you lay down your old life (lou tino) ia Keriso, ma ia te Ia, e ala i le mana o le Agaga Paia, Le Tagata Fou (Lou Agaga) ua siitia mai le oti.
I le malo faaleagaga, Ua avea oe ma Fort New Foafoaga. What took place in the spiritual realm becomes visible in the natural realm (the visible realm).
O lona uiga, that your life and your walk and talk will change. Your speech and works shall line up with the confession of your faith and repentance and you shall walk as the new creation after the Word and the Spirit.
In order to walk after the Word, you have to get to know the Word. Because you can’t walk after the Word if you don’t know the Word.
This means that you have to renew your mind with the Word of God. When you renew your old carnal mind that thinks like the world with the Word of God and you obey the Word and become a doer of the Word, then you shall grow up into a mature son of God (e faatatau lenei mea i alii ma tamaitai), who knows the will of the Father.
As a mature son of God, you shall walk as the new creation in obedience to the will of the Father. You shall represent Jesus Christ and the Father, ma talai atu ma avatu le Malo o le Atua i tagata. (Faitau foi: Ua mumumu ma faatali le lalolagi i le faaaliga a atalii o le Atua’).
What does it mean to put off the old man?
Put off the old man means that you lay down the habits and works of the sinful flesh.
‘Ia ‘outou tu‘ua le tagata tuai e tusa ma le amio muamua, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Efeso 4:22)
Ina ua avea oe ma se foafoaga fou (tagata fou), it’s time to put off the old man; the former man, who had the nature of the devil and walked after the flesh in obedience to the will, tu'inanau ma tu'inanau o le tino, and to put on the new man, who is created after the image of God and has the nature of God.
The word ‘put off’ is translated from the Greek word ‘apotithēmi’ which means o.a. cast off, lay apart, lay aside, faataatia, put away, aveese.
You will put off the old man like you put off pieces of garments. This is not something that God has to do, but that you have to do.
How long it takes to put off the old man depends on you. The more you love God and the more you hate your former carnal life as a sinner and its agasala, the quicker you will obey the Word and stop doing the works of the old man.
What are the works of the old man?
The works of the old man are clearly defined in Colossians 3:5-10 and Galatians 5:19-21. These works do not belong in the life of born again Christians. These works are not the works of the new man but the old man.
Mokesi o lo o ou sui i luga o le fogaeleele; faitaaga, le mama, Le tele o alofa, tu'inanau leaga, ma le manamea, o le ifo i tupua: O mea ia ‘ua o‘o mai ai le to‘asā o le Atua i le fānau a le lē usiusita‘i: In the which you also walked some time, when you lived in them. But now you also put off all these; ita, ita, loto leaga, upu leaga, mamao le fesoʻotaʻiga mai lou gutu. Pepelo le tasi i le isi, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; Ma tuu i luga o le tagata fou, o loʻo faʻafouina i le poto pe a uma le ata o ia na faia o ia (Kolose 3:5-10)
O lenei o galuega o le tino e faaalia, o nei mea; mulilua, faitaaga, le mama, tu'inanau, Ifo i tupua, faataulaitu, inoino, feeseesea'iga, fa'ata'ita'iga, ita, misa, fouvalega, a'oa'oga sese, Matatioata, fasioti tagata, onana, faaaliga, ma e pei: o le mea lea ou te taʻu atu ia te oe, E pei ona ou fai atu foi ia te oe i le taimi ua tuanai, O Latou e faia ai mea faapena o le a lefouina le malo o le Atua (Kalatia 5:19-21)
Therefore you must put off these works. Aua ua fai mai le Tusi Paia, na na, who do these things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
What carnal works of the old man must be put off?
The carnal works of the old man, which every born again Christian must put off are:
- Adultery* (faiaiga tauofo i le va o se tagata ua faaipoipo ma se tagata e le o sona toalua)
- Faitaaga (faitaaga, e aofia ai le mulilua ma le mataifale, feusuaiga le faaipoipo, homosexualliety, fa'atusa ifo i tupua)
- Le mamā (impurity, faaletino po o le amio: -le mama, e le mama)
- O le alofa lē pulea (mafatia lelei, (fa'atauva'a) alofa, tu'inanau)
- Manatu leaga (bad/evil/wicked desire or lust)
- Manatuvale (idolatry) (faiga tau faasese, faomea:-faiga matape'ape'a, matape'ape'a, o lo'o i ai le tu'inanau mo le mauaina)
- Ita (tu'inanau sauā, ita, ita, tauimasui)
- To'asa (sauā, ita)
- Fa'aleaga (leaga, amio leaga, mativa)
- Upuvale (taufaifai (aemaise i le Atua), fa'amauina, tautala leaga)
- O tautalaga eleelea mai lou gutu (talanoaga leaga)
- Pepelo (tautala i se pepelo po o se taumafaiga e faasese i le pepelo, pepelo, pepelo)
- Faitaaga (fa'atumuina pe fa'aalia tu'inanau fa'afeusuaiga)
- Ifo i tupua (ifo i tupua, pipii le talafeagai po o le tuuto i se mea)
- Faiga faataulaitu (fa'aoga fa'ataulāitu po'o fa'ataulāitu, le fa'aogaina o togafiti fa'ataulāitu ma le vala'au o agaga, fesootaiga ma le tiapolo po o se tagata masani, o se faatosinaga le matineia po o se faananau)
- Feitai (fa'ailoga tagata po'o le ita, se mafuaaga o le tetee, fouvale)
- Eseesega (o le le mautonu ma le le mautonu; ose misa, finauga, felafolafoaiga, misa)
- Fa'ata'ita'iga (lotoleaga, mafaufau malosi, ita, fuā, ma'elega)
- misa (o se faiga o finauga, fa'amalosi po'o le finau mo le maualuga)
- Fa'alavelave (vaevaega, fa'aoso o le tete'e atu po'o le fouvale i pulega fa'aletulafono, fouvale i le pule a se setete)
- A'oa'oga sese (lotu, belief or opinion contrary orthodox religious doctrine (aemaise le faa-Kerisiano),o se talitonuga po o se manatu e le ogatasi ma le talitonuga aloaia po o se manatu o se lotu faapitoa)
- Matatioata (fuā, o le lagona o le manao e maua le mea ua i ai i se isi tagata, O se lagona o le le fiafia po o le le fiafia e faaosofia e se isi tagata)
- Fasioti tagata (fasia, e fasioti, e faaleaga pe faaleaga, e fa'ato'ilaloina se tagata fa'afeagai)
- Auvale(onana, le tulaga o le onā)
- Fa'afiafiaga (vevesi, a carousal, enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, aemaise i le inu ma le siva)
How do you put off the old man?
You put off the old man and his works by changing your life (olaga, finauga). Stop feeding your flesh; O lau auala tuai o le mafaufau, finauga, amioga, lagona, lagona, tu'inanauga, manaoga, ma isi. and stop obeying them. Don’t be led by them and don’t give into them. Nai lo lena, feed your spirit with the Word of God, obey the Word and the Spirit, and be led by Them.
When you feed your spirit with the Word of God, pray and speak in other tongues, you shall build yourself in your most holy faith.
During the process of putting off the old man, anapogi plays an important role. Because when you fast you ‘kill’ o le tino (Faitau foi: What is the meaning of fasting?).
When you feed your spirit and renew your mind with the Word of God, you shall get to know the will of God and think like the new creation.
When you think like the new creation, you will speak and act as the new creation.
You shall put on the new man and walk as the new man; the new creation after the will of God.
The new creation is risen with Christ and seated in Him in the heavenly places. O lea la, the new creation seeks the things which are above and not on this earth (a,o, Efeso 2:5-6, Kolose 3:1).
When you feed your spirit with the Word, tatalo, and speak in tongues, your spirit shall mature and shall become stronger than your flesh.
O lou tino, which has always reigned as king in your life, shall scream and try to get your attention, so that you will give into the cravings, tu'inanauga, ma faanaunauga o lou tino.
But as long as you follow the Word and say and do what the Word says and don’t listen to your flesh and don’t give in and keep feeding your spirit, your spirit shall reign together with the Word and the Holy Spirit as King in your life.
It’s important to put off the old man. Because when you put off the old man, you shall no longer be led and dominated by your senses, mafaufau tino, and your carnal way of thinking, manaoga, tu'inanauga, lagona, lagona, ma isi.
You shall no longer be a slave of your sinful flesh and controlled by the kingdom of darkness. But you shall reign in Jesus Christ from the Kingdom of God over your flesh and over sin.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
*Punaoa: Oxford lomifefiloi, Merriam Webster dictionary
