God initially installs the new man within us, and it is our responsibility to nourish him. The new man is manifested in our conduct, reconciled to God and man, circumcised of heart, connected with the New Covenant, and adopting him is a matter of choice on our part. At baptism, we sink into Christ, and that is when God first establishes the new man within us, clothing us with Him. The new man is reconciled, showing no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in Christ Jesus. We are admonished to put on the new man, recognizing Christ is all and in all. As true Christians, we have tasted both the old and new wine, rejecting the old man's walk in favor of the new man's way of life, which is better, different, and incompatible with the old ways. Preferring the new, we have changed and are in the process of making for ourselves a new heart. We must walk steadfastly in this new way, true to the better covenant, and seek strength to avoid succumbing to deception and returning to the old man's walk.

Every Christian is a new man, no longer living the old life of sin and slavish obedience to human nature. Having been set free from sin, we became slaves of righteousness. As a new creation, the new man is to be renewed in mind and conduct, beginning his walk toward perfection. The new man is spiritually circumcised in his mind, renewed in the spirit of his heart. With a new heart and God's Holy Spirit within him, the new man is enabled to walk in God's ways, embodying the New Covenant man. The concept of the new man is tied to the choice of adoption, illustrated by the metaphor of putting on clothes. Daily, we must choose to put on the Christian way of life, feeling so at home with the new man that we refuse to abandon his way of life for any reason. This ongoing responsibility to adopt the new man is a matter of personal choice, akin to selecting clothing each day. The creation of the new man is a collaborative effort between God and man. God creates the new man and compels us to choose whether to adopt him, demonstrated through our conduct as we walk the Christian way of life. This partnership is evident in the shared responsibility of circumcising the heart, where both God and man play a role. We make ourselves a new heart by keeping God's law and doing His commandments, preparing ourselves as living sacrifices for the promises of the New Covenant. This collaboration underscores the mutual work of God and man in nurturing the new man over a Christian's lifetime.

God creates the new man, as Paul clearly states, forming one new man from two distinct groups, uniting them in Himself (Ephesians 2:15). He emphasizes that Christians must put on the new man, created according to God in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Paul further instructs to put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him (Colossians 3:10). This creation by God marks the starting point of the new man, reflecting His image and purpose. Once created, the new man matures through a renewal process, as Paul describes him as renewed in knowledge and different from the old, bearing God's image (Colossians 3:10). He urges a transformation by the renewing of the mind, a process that requires active effort to avoid conformity to the world (Romans 12:1-2). This renewal, driven by personal action, leads to a character transformation, aligning more closely with holiness day by day. The renewal of the mind occurs fundamentally through obedience to God's law, shaping the conduct of the new man. Paul consistently links the new man to expected moral and ethical behavior, commanding to put on the new man and detailing actions like tender mercies, kindness, and humility (Colossians 3:12). In Ephesians 4:24-25, he connects putting on the new man with specific instructions for truthful speech and righteous living. This walk in newness of life defines the new man's way, contrasting sharply with past conduct and aligning with God's prepared path of good works (Ephesians 2:10).