“Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”
(Ephesians 4:22)

“The moral project for a Christian is to die to the old self and rise to new life in Christ.”
(Rebecca DeYoung)

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This is the third in a series of posts on empirical practices for re-formation of the soul.  These include: (1) Putting on virtues of the new self; (2) Putting off vices of the old self; (3) Renewing the mind; and (4) Growing through suffering.

In this post – Putting off vices of the old self.

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It is undeniable that here at the start of 2025 we are experiencing perhaps the most disruptive and divisive political climate in a generation.  For those who oppose the changes being made by the current administration, there is anxiety, fear and above all else anger.  There is anger obviously at the chief executive leading the charge, anger at those in the legislative branch who are seen as enablers, and anger at those voters who support the chaos.  There is anger at the callousness of many of the actions; anger at the rhetoric; anger at the deluge of misinformation; and anger at what is seen as an attack on the pillars of our democracy.  The list goes on and on.

For those who support the changes there is anger at the judiciary, anger at journalists, anger at immigrants, and anger at anyone who speaks out in opposition.  In some cases the anger rises to threats, intimidation, and even violence.  Some may remember Barry Goldwater, former U.S. Senator and Republican candidate in 1964 for the Presidency.  Goldwater was an enigmatic figure who in many ways paved the way for the restructuring of the modern Republican party.  In his acceptance speech at the nomination convention, he delivered the memorable line, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.  And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”  This could be a slogan for either side in the current chaos.

I have been pondering all of this in light of the Apostle Paul’s admonition to, “Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.” (Ephesians 4:22)  And specifically his direction to, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger.”  (Ephesians 4:31)  We find this very hard to do in the current environment notwithstanding the exacting words of Jesus, “I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”(Matthew 5:22)  Can you imagine what Jesus or Paul would say about the reaction that many of us have to the current political machinations?

Arguably there is no more destructive emotion and action than the vice of anger.  Dallas Willard writes, “Anger and contempt are the twin scourges of the earth.  … these bitter emotions form the poisonous brew in which human existence stands suspended.  Few people ever get free of them in this life, and for most of us even old age does not bring relief.” (The Divine Conspiracy)  For these reasons, I am focusing this post of Putting Off Vices primarily on the vice of anger.  But with the understanding that these practices can help overcome other vices as well.

But first, a few comments about vices; and then some practices for putting off vices.

About Vices

A dictionary definition of “vice” is “immoral or wicked behavior.”  This is okay as far as it goes, but Biblically a vice is more than just behavior or actions, but also include thoughts that are bad or wrong.  For example, when comparing anger to murder, Jesus tells us that the thought is essentially the same as the deed.  We Christians are more familiar with the word “sin,” which covers actions and thoughts proscribed in the Bible.  Although there are some differences between vice and sin, they are often conflated and treated as roughly equivalent.

In the Gospels, Jesus commands his followers to abandon vices such as:  anger, revenge, adultery, retaliation, vanity, worrying, critical judgments, unforgiveness, pride, hurtful words, and others.  In fact, by my count, he spoke more about vices than virtues.  The Apostle Paul insists that we put off the old self, which he describes by vices such as: deceitfulness, lying, stealing, unwholesome talk, bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice.  (see Ephesians 4:22, 25-31) There are of course many other passages with similar import, such as, Colossians 3:5-9 and Galatians 5:19-21.

Classical Christian thought has organized vices into seven categories, commonly referred to as the Seven Deadly Sins. These are Vanity, Envy, Sloth, Greed, Wrath, Gluttony, and Lust, all deriving from the root sin of Pride.  Most of the vices named in the Bible can be classified under at least one of these seven.  For example, Wrath covers anger, defensiveness, hate, frustration, animosity, judgment, rage, and the like.

Vices, like virtues, are not something we are born with.  Rather, they develop over time in response to how we interact with our environment – often as a coping or defense mechanism.  I have mentioned in the past how one interaction with my father when I was around six years old led me to believe that I had to be perfect in order to be loved and not rejected.  From this event (and no doubt others) I gradually became more and more defensive towards anyone who questioned my competence or beliefs.  Without ever consciously thinking about it, defensiveness gradually became part of my character.  N.T. Wright describes the process thus, “Anybody can learn a vice – all you have to do is to go into neutral, slide along the way life is going and before long the habits of life will have you in their grip or vice.” (After You Believe)

The target for putting off vices, like that for putting on virtues, is the automatic responses that reside in our subconscious mind, otherwise known as our heart.  The goal is to make our automatic response Christlike, which means that patterns of non-Biblical behavior need to be changed.  In this sense, the practice of putting off vices is similar to putting on virtues.  However, in my experience, putting off a vice requires a more targeted approach than putting on virtues.  The practice I suggested in a post last month, “Putting On Virtues,” was to continuously cycle through a list of virtues.  The practice I suggest here for putting off vices is to target a specific vice.  In both the putting off and putting on, transformation occurs through our practice and the grace of God.

So how can a vice be put off?  How can anger (or any vice) be overcome?

I write this with the same caveat as the other posts in this series on Spiritual Practice – that there are many paths forward, many ways to cross the river.  I share from my experience that it may stir your own thinking on the matter.  And thinking is critical because transformation comes by the renewal of the mind, and vices (like virtues) must be carefully thought through.

Practices for Putting Off Vices

Awareness

How aware are you of your vices?  It’s a simple question with not a simple answer.  While some may be aware of one or more of their vices – lust, anger, envy, or other – many of us remain oblivious.  Or even worse, we don’t think we have any vices, which in many ways explains the state of our hearts, not to mention our country and world.

I was surprised to discover how difficult it is to become aware of one’s own vices (even though it is easy to see them in others).  For one thing, they reside in the subconscious mind, which is necessarily hidden from conscious thought.  Much like breathing continues without us having to think about it, so too with a vice.  Furthermore, because vices have been reinforced for so long, they feel natural and right.  Even when we are aware of a vice, we humans are also well practiced in justifying and rationalizing our aberrant behavior.

In my case it took over forty years of married life before I became consciously aware of my defensiveness.  I can’t pinpoint a time or event, but it emerged as I was practicing virtues as well as reading about vices and the harm they cause.  Before this, if I had been asked whether I had any vices, I might have admitted to a minor fault here and there, perhaps an occasional slipup or touch of pride; but by and large I was pretty good.  To the extent I thought about vices at all, I looked at how they were problems for others.  However, the more I reflected on defensiveness, the more I realized how dominate it was in my life and particularly in my marriage.

• One practice therefore to become aware of vices is to practice putting on virtues (as described in an earlier post).  Inevitably virtues crash into vices.  This was my experience.  For example, when practicing patience, I discovered how defensive I was when criticized.  When practicing peace, I saw how often I was distressed when reading the news.  And when practicing love, how often I became frustrated when things did not go my way.  Eventually I became aware that I had a negative reaction whenever I felt threatened or annoyed.

• Another practice is to take an honest look at painful emotions.  For it is often in them that awareness is hidden.  Pastor and author Tim Keller writes in the context of identifying idols (read vices) in our life, “A final test works for everyone.  Look at your most uncontrollable emotions.  Just as a fisherman looking for fish knows to go where the water is roiling, look for your idols at the bottom of your most painful emotions, especially those that never seem to lift and that drive you to do things you know are wrong.  If you are angry, ask, ‘Is there something here too important to me, something I must have at all costs?’” (Counterfeit Gods)

• One other practice is to take time to intentionally think and reflect on what we “must” have and what we “must” avoid to have contentment.  If we must have praise, or money in the bank, or respect, or order, etc. – then we set the stage for the formation of a vice.  If we must avoid being criticized, or questioned, or losing our possessions, and so forth – we again set the state for the formation of a vice.  It’s not that any of these is inherently bad, it’s the danger they pose when they become our priorities and obsessions.  It can also be helpful to read a book on vices such as Rebecca DeYoung’s “Glittering Vices,” which is a great diagnostic resource for identifying vices, their roots, and their poisonous fruit.  Because renewal of the mind always precedes re-formation of the soul, identifying and pondering automatic and negative reactions is essential.

Vision

“What do you want?”  Jesus asks this haunting question when two of John’s disciples start to follow him. (John 1:38)  He asks this question other times during his ministry, and it is a question we too need to ask ourselves as we look to overcome a vice.  It’s one thing to become aware that we are angry and want to overcome it.  But we need more – we need a goal, a vision of how better life would be if we are freed from the vice.

In the first post of this series I used the analogy of a land of beauty on the other side of a river.  Our vices are what keep us anchored to this side of the river.  We take comfort in them, like a boat secured to a dock.  But in the end they do not deliver the life we desire, nor can they.  Still, we secretly harbor the idea that through them we can attain an abundant life.  Rebecca DeYoung writes, “The vices offer subtle and deceptive imitations of the fullness of the human good, which we often simply call ‘happiness.’  Lust offers pleasure; avarice promises self-sufficiency; envy and vainglory offer to secure our worth and approval; sloth beckons with comfort; wrath clings to control; pride prizes status, superiority, and power. (Glittering Vices)

The irony is that vices never deliver on what they promise.  They don’t deliver the human goodness we desire, because pleasure, self-sufficiency, approval and the like are focused on love of ourselves and not on love of others and God.  This is why Jesus comes down so hard on anger (and other vices).  They all lead to a life of isolation – the kind that C.S. Lewis wrote about in The Great Divorce where hell is envisioned as a town where people are constantly moving farther and farther away from each other.

And so, back to Jesus’ question, “What do you want?”  In other words, what kind of life are you seeking?  What is your vision for an abundant life?

• The practice here is to meditate on this question and then write down your vision in regard to what overcoming a particular vice would look like.  This may take some time and may need to be revised as your thinking deepens.  Here is an example based on my vice of anger.

Overcoming defensiveness when confronted will allow me to love better.

Eliminating distress over the daily news feed will open the door to equanimity.

Becoming free of critical judgments will help me be more understanding and nurturing.

The point behind having a vision is that this is the way of change – being drawn rather than pushed.  To love better, to be understanding and nurturing, to live in equanimity – these are intoxicating possibilities.  They represent the freedom that comes from no longer being a slave to subconscious responses that were formed when we were six years old.  And it is the way of the highest virtue that Jesus speaks of, namely, love.

With these two – awareness and vision – we have the foundation from which to put off vices.  This doesn’t make it easy, but it does make it possible.  What remains are practices for Staying the Course.

Staying the Course

Staying the course is another way to say commitment.  There are a number of practices to help us stay the course.  Here are some that have worked for me.

• Reflection

Daily meditation is key.  Think about the harm that your vice has caused you and others.  Think even more on your vision for a life free from the vice.  I have found it useful to reflect on successes and failures to learn and reinvigorate the goal.  This is the way of transformation of the mind – the ever present and essential practice.

A related practice when you experience an unsettling event or encounter, is to bring to mind that it too will pass.  For when it does, all that will linger for better or worse is how you responded.  Henri Nouwen beautifully captures this is a prayer from “You Are The Beloved.”

O Lord, Life passes by swiftly. Events that a few years ago kept me totally preoccupied have now become vague memories; conflicts that a few months ago seemed so crucial in my life now seem futile and hardly worth the energy; inner turmoil that robbed me of my sleep only a few weeks ago has now become a strange emotion of the past; … Why am I continuously trapped in this sense of urgency and emergency?

So much of life revolves around just such ephemera.  It’s time to take the long view and escape the pettiness of so much that is momentary and transitory.

• Triggers

Look for things that trigger the subconscious response and be extra vigilant.  Here are some that I practice:

– When working around the house, I can interpret my spouse’s comments as criticism, which can trigger defensiveness on my part.  And so, when we interact, I try to remind myself to be alert to how I respond.  It also helps for me to stuff my ego in a box and shift my focus to listening rather than commenting.

– In reading the political news the past several months I frequently became angry.  I initially gave up reading the news for several weeks as a cooling off period.  Now I am reading again but being selective so as not to test myself too much.  The goal is not to bury my head in the sand but to take a long view with a perspective that doesn’t result in internal anger.

– When driving or walking I get incensed over speeding or reckless drivers.  Here my practice is to prepare for such occurrences when I am out and try to focus on what may be going on it their lives and not taking things personally.  I have a friend who whenever he is cut off in traffic prays for the other driver.

– Being tired is a huge trigger for me to have a negative response.  I try to be most vigilant at such times.

You get the idea.  Think about triggers – those times when you are most vulnerable to your vice.  This awareness will help your conscious mind override unconscious responses.  And in this way, the old neural pathways will gradually be replaced with new ones.

• Successes

When you have a “success” where you have avoided a vice – savor the moment.  Not as a matter of pride, but as an act of God’s grace in your life.  Think about how good you feel in the moment and allow it to reinforce your vision.  It is a taste of freedom and one more step towards rooting out the vice.

• Failures

We often learn more from our failures than our successes.  If we process them without guilt, our failures can become key growth moments.  When we fail, we learn what we can from it and start again.  The only real failure is to give up in despair.

S