This passage contains many commands, which we – if we want to be followers of Jesus – cannot easily ignore. It is also useless to fondly meditate about them. And they are worded in such a way that the only sound response can be: to obey! The passage starts with ‘Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit…’
Get rid of it, like one throws of some worn-out coat.
This reminds me of an incident with one of my children. My little son had a ragged coat and badly needed a new one. One day I took him shopping, and on the children's department of a large warehouse I looked for a coat. Only then he realized what disaster was in store for him: he was going to lose his precious, beloved old coat! He tightly clung to the buttons and fiercely shook his head in advance. I presented him a nice coat, but he kept on shaking no. Then I showed him another nice coat: his eyes opened wide and slowly his hands let go of the buttons. Then he unbuttoned his old coat – his so precious and beloved coat – and dropped it on the ground, to put on that beautiful new coat.
In the same way God says that we should not only get rid of something, but also should put on something. ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ’. If we may clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus - like with a beautiful new coat – should we not get rid of the old as soon as possible? For God has great plans for us: He wants to use us as living stones to build His church. But then we need to be willing to be used, like Jesus… and that cannot be, unless we – as Paul says - clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus, like with a new coat. But this new coat only fits over our naked body, stripped of everything that is garbage in God’s eyes.