The ghost of who you were

Dear friend.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you were quite sure you’d moved past something - and then, out of nowhere, there it was again?

An old reaction. A familiar feeling you didn’t miss. A pattern you thought had gone for good.

It can feel discouraging. Like proof that nothing has really changed.

I want to offer you something better than that today.

Paul wrote to a group of ordinary Christians in Colossi, and he didn’t give them a pep talk. He used surgical language. He said God performed a spiritual circumcision - a cutting away of the sinful nature. And then he said something even more striking: you were buried with Christ and raised to new life.

Not improved. Raised.

In Romans 6, he puts it plainly: our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ. Past tense. Done. Settled.

So here’s what that means for the moments when the old patterns pull. You are not dealing with who you are. You are dealing with the ghost of who you were.

Your new identity in Christ isn’t a goal you’re still working towards. It’s already yours. The old labels - the angry one, the one who gives up, the one who can’t be trusted - those were sewn onto someone who went into the ground with Jesus and didn’t come back.

Next time an old pattern surfaces, try saying this quietly: that’s not me anymore. Not as wishful thinking. As a statement of truth.

Today’s devotional explores all of this in five minutes - and ends with a simple step you can take today.

👉 Watch here:

Grace and peace.

Rob

Read this week’s devotionals here - https://open.substack.com/pub/battledrilldevotional/p/who-are-you-living-for-romans-6-daily?r=643q6o&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true