old man
Definition
The old man (Greek: palaios anthropos) is crucified with Christ according to Romans 6:6. This is a positional fact — not a command to crucify yourself. The old man is not suppressed or reformed, but miraculously removed by God and replaced by a new life in Christ.
Usage per author
Watchman Nee / Witness Lee
In The Life That Wins (b8), Nee teaches that the old man is declared utterly useless by God. The cross is God’s verdict: “not I, but Christ.”
“Our old man was crucified with Him (Rom. 6:6). (…) Unless there is a miracle, none will come into victory. For who among us can overcome sin? (…) But when God does the work, He miraculously removes our old man and gives us a pure heart.” (The Life That Wins, p. 46-47)
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me (Gal. 2:20). (…) It means: the life spoken of is an exchanged life. Basically, it is no longer I, for it has absolutely nothing to do with me.” (The Life That Wins, p. 36-37)
“The cross expresses God’s despair of men! It announces His hopelessness towards men! It is God’s way of saying that He can neither repair nor improve us, He can only crucify us.” (The Life That Wins, p. 57)
Interpretation: Nee reads Romans 6 as positional truth to be appropriated by faith. The old man is not gradually dying, but already crucified. This is the basis for the “exchanged life.”