Take It Off: Shedding Old Identities to Step Into God’s Calling

One of the most powerful truths in Scripture is that God never calls us according to our past. He calls us according to our purpose. But too often, we try to step into God’s promises while still wearing the old garments of our former identity.

The Word of God repeatedly shows us that stepping into a new season requires taking something off before putting something new on.

Joseph: From Prisoner to Prince

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” – Genesis 41:14

Joseph’s life changed in a single day, but before he could stand before Pharaoh, he had to change his clothes. That wasn’t just a practical act, it was prophetic. His prison garments represented limitation, rejection, and years of being forgotten. Shedding them was a declaration: I will no longer be identified by my past season.

For us, the “prison clothes” might be:

• A victim mentality

• Fear of failure

• Deep-seated rejection

• An orphan spirit

To enter the new, we must take it off.

Gideon: Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes

“The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” – Judges 6:12

When the angel of the Lord called Gideon a mighty man of valor, Gideon couldn’t believe it. His response? “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15).

Like many of us, Gideon was wearing the identity life gave him, weak, insignificant, defeated, but God spoke a new name over him before the battle was even won: mighty man of valor.

God speaks to our destiny, not our history. But to walk in it, we must stop identifying with the old labels and start agreeing with what He says about us.

Blind Bartimaeus: Throwing Off the Old Life

“And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.” – Mark 10:50

In Bible times, a beggar’s garment wasn’t just clothing. It was their identity, their status, even their source of sympathy and survival. When Bartimaeus heard Jesus calling, the first thing he did was throw off his garment.

Why? Because he knew he wouldn’t need it anymore. He refused to approach Jesus still dressed in the identity of blindness and begging.

The Call to Undress Ourselves

“Put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” - Colossians 3:10

That means if we want to “put on” the new man, we must first take off the old one. For some, that means letting go of:

• Old wounds and labels (“the rejected one,” “the failure,” “the victim”)

• Negative mindsets shaped by painful experiences

• Limiting beliefs about what God can do through us

Prayer alone doesn’t dismantle old identities. The renewing of the mind through God’s Word does. When we agree with what God says about us, even when our circumstances look the opposite, we begin to walk in the new identity He’s already spoken over us.

Whether it’s Joseph leaving the dungeon, Gideon rising up as a warrior, or Bartimaeus throwing off his beggar’s cloak, the message is the same:

Take it off.

Take off the rejection.

Take off the fear.

Take off the victim mentality.

Take off the labels life put on you.

God is calling you into a new place. But you can’t step into the palace, the battle, or the miracle while still dressed for the prison, the past, or the pain.

It’s time to undress yourself from the old and embrace the new identity God has given you: chosen, accepted, victorious, beloved.