Get Rid of the DIrty Sock
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Take Off the Dirty Socks: Living Like the New Person Christ Made You to Be
Father's Day has a way of bringing back memories.
As I thought about my dad this week, I remembered one of those classic phrases many of us heard growing up:
"If you live in my house..."
You knew exactly what was coming next.
"If you live in my house, you'll follow my rules."
It wasn't a question. It was a statement built on an established reality. Since you lived in the house, certain expectations naturally followed.
The Apostle Paul takes a similar approach in Colossians 3.
Last week, we saw Paul remind believers that they have been raised with Christ. Their identity has changed. Their future has changed. Their relationship with God has changed.
Now Paul begins showing what should change in everyday life because of that reality.
A funny reminder of this came from camp this week.
Every year, one cabin receives the infamous "Dirty Sock" award. It's given to the messiest cabin at camp. The sock is dirty, crusty, smelly, and honestly something nobody would willingly choose to wear.
At least we hope not.
You could choose to wear dirty socks. But it wouldn't be good for you, and it certainly wouldn't be pleasant for the people around you.
That's the picture Paul is painting.
There are behaviors that belonged to our old life before Christ. We wore them for a long time. Some of them became so familiar that they felt normal.
But now Christ offers something better.
Put Off the Old Life
Paul writes:
"But now you yourselves are to put off all these..." (Colossians 3:8)
Then he gives a list of attitudes and actions that no longer belong in the life of a believer.
Anger
Not a moment of frustration, but deep, simmering resentment.
The kind of bitterness that quietly grows beneath the surface.
The unresolved hurt we continue carrying.
Wrath
If anger is the fire smoldering inside, wrath is the explosion that happens outside.
It's the outburst.
The loss of control.
The emotional wildfire that damages everyone nearby.
Malice
The desire to hurt someone.
Maybe because they hurt you.
Maybe because they're different from you.
Maybe because you've decided they deserve it.
Whatever the reason, malice seeks harm rather than healing.
Slander
Words designed to tear someone down.
False accusations.
Attacks on another person's character or reputation.
The desire to wound with our speech.
Filthy Language
Profanity, crude humor, and speech that doesn't reflect the character of Christ.
The question isn't simply, "Can I get away with saying this?"
The better question is:
"Would I say this if Jesus were standing right beside me?"
Lying
Intentionally speaking falsehood to deceive.
Most lies begin as attempts to avoid consequences.
Ironically, they almost always create bigger ones.
These behaviors don't make us better Christians when we avoid them.
Rather, avoiding them demonstrates that Christ is actively transforming us.
Like dirty socks, these habits affect everyone around us.
They create an atmosphere.
They impact homes, friendships, marriages, workplaces, and churches.
And Paul says it's time to take them off.
I Am a New Person with New Actions
Paul continues:
"Since you have put off the old man with his deeds..." (Colossians 3:9)
The "old man" refers to our old way of living before Christ.
The old habits.
The old patterns.
The old identity.
When we trusted Christ, something fundamental changed.
The Holy Spirit came to live within us.
We are no longer slaves to sin.
That doesn't mean we become perfect overnight.
But it does mean sin no longer has the same authority it once had.
We now have the ability to choose differently.
The old life doesn't have to control us anymore.
Put On the New Life
Paul then says:
"And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him." (Colossians 3:10)
Not only are we called to take off the old life, we are called to put on a new one.
As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we become more like Him.
Where there was bitterness, we pursue forgiveness.
Where there was wrath, we practice self-control.
Where there was malice, we extend grace.
Where there was slander, we choose encouragement.
Where there was filthy speech, we use words that build others up.
Where there was deception, we choose honesty.
This transformation isn't powered by sheer willpower.
It is the result of Christ changing us from the inside out.
The more we seek Him, the more we become like Him.
Stop Making Excuses
Paul closes this section with a powerful reminder:
"Christ is all and in all." (Colossians 3:11)
The church in Colossae was filled with people from different backgrounds.
Different cultures.
Different histories.
Different struggles.
Different wounds.
Different reasons they could have given for staying the same.
And honestly, we have our reasons too.
We can point to our upbringing.
Our past experiences.
Our hurts.
Our disappointments.
Our family history.
Our personality.
Our circumstances.
The pain is real.
The wounds are real.
The trauma is real.
But eventually, every believer faces a choice.
Will I allow my past to define me?
Or will I allow Christ to transform me?
Holding onto old patterns only creates new wounds.
It extends hurt into the next relationship, the next season, and sometimes even the next generation.
At some point, we must choose to stop putting the dirty socks back on.
What's Your Next Step?
Paul's challenge is deeply practical.
Take off the old life.
Put on the new life.
Allow Christ to change the way you think, speak, and respond.
For some people, the next step may be asking forgiveness.
For others, it may mean letting go of bitterness.
For someone else, it may mean telling the truth, extending grace, or breaking an unhealthy pattern.
Whatever it is, remember this:
You are not trying to become someone new.
In Christ, you already are.
The question is whether you'll keep wearing the dirty socks—or finally put on what Christ has already provided.
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