When someone asks Jesus for forgiveness of their sins, they undergo a transformation from their former self to a new self. As Bible teacher Derek Prince suggests, the 'old man' represents the influence of Satan's deception, while the 'new man' reflects the influence of God's truth. The truth of God is found in His Word (see Romans 6:6). Our old self was crucified with Christ when we became born-again believers. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Instead, we are led by the Holy Spirit. Guided by the Holy Spirit and assured of our forgiven sins, we live in the present while looking toward the future. The Lord has cast our past sins into the depths of the sea, as described in Micah 7:19 (MSG): “And compassion is on its way to us. You’ll stamp out our wrongdoing. You’ll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean.” We can remain on the right path by praying, studying God’s Word, and aligning our lives with His will. When we each accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the process of renewing our minds and spirits began! We have begun the process of shedding our old selves and embracing our new identity as righteous and holy children of God. The Holy Spirit renews us daily as we pray, read, and draw close to our Lord Jesus.