John Calvin Commentary Ephesians 4:22

"that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit;" — Ephesians 4:22 (ASV)

That you put off. He demands from a Christian repentance, or a new life, which he describes as consisting of self-denial and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Beginning with the first, he urges us to lay aside, or put off the old man, using the metaphor of garments, which we have already explained.

The old man—as we have repeatedly stated, in explaining Romans 6 and other passages where it occurs—means the natural disposition which we bring with us from our mother’s womb. In two persons, Adam and Christ, he describes to us what may be called two natures. As we are first born of Adam, the depravity of nature which we derive from him is called the Old man; and as we are born again in Christ, the renewal of this sinful nature is called the New man. In a word, whoever desires to put off the old man must renounce his nature. To suppose that the words Old and New contain an allusion to the Old and New Testaments is exceedingly unphilosophical.

Concerning the former conversation. To make it more evident that this exhortation to the Ephesians was not unnecessary, he reminds them of their former life. “Before Christ revealed himself to your minds, the old man reigned in you; and therefore, if you desire to lay him aside, you must renounce your former life.”

Which is corrupted. He describes the old man by its fruits—that is, the wicked desires which lure people to destruction; for the word, corrupt, alludes to old age, which is closely allied to corruption. Let us beware of considering the deceitful lusts, as the Papists do, to mean nothing more than the gross and visible lusts, which are generally acknowledged to be shameful. The word also includes those dispositions which, instead of being censured, are sometimes applauded—such as ambition, cunning, and everything that proceeds either from self-love or from want of confidence in God.