This compound verb combines ἀπό ('off, from') and ἐκδύω ('to strip, undress') in its intensive middle voice form, depicting the decisive removal of something worn or attached. In Colossians, Paul uses it twice with striking metaphorical force. In 2:15, Christ 'disarmed the rulers and authorities,' stripping them of their power like removing weapons or armor. In 3:9, believers have 'put off the old self' like removing filthy clothes. The middle voice emphasizes the subject's personal involvement—Christ's active stripping of hostile powers; the believer's decisive divestment of their former identity. The physical imagery of undressing powerfully conveys complete removal and transformation.