Colossians 3:9 , 10 , 12 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge in the image of his Creator....therefore as God's chosen people, holy, and dearly loved... Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Paul stated it in so many different ways...but the clear message was simply...to stand firmly in the finished work of Jesus at the cross...and in who we are in Him..because of that finished work. The life that we live is an amazing life..provided for us "in Christ". This is the life that allows us to be overcomers. It's the life that raised Jesus from the dead. It's the life that is eternal and incorruptible. The righteousness of Jesus is imputed to us when we believe and put our faith in Him...and His life indwells us by the Holy Spirit.
Paul spoke of "putting on" and of " putting off", and even of "clothing" ourselves in this newness of life. The clothing that is Christ's life is kindness. It's compassion. It's humility. It's patience. It's gentleness. Because we are now in Him, all of these attributes can be manifest through us because they are His attributes! We don't have to try to muster up compassion or patience...we simply "clothe" ourselves in Him.
The Christian life can't be thought of as a life lived by rules, or even moral standards. That still ushers in legalism..and legalism still brings death. The life of a believer is a life lived fully out of Jesus' life...a life that is from above, and not powered by human effort. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God. It is no longer we who live...but it is Christ who lives in us!