Colossians 3:5-7
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The list of sins doesn't just name actions; it moves from specific acts like "sexual immorality" and "impurity" to the underlying "passion" and "evil desire" that fuel them. This progression reveals that the real battle is not just against outward behavior, but against the inner cravings that drive it, showing how deeply rooted these desires are.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is drawing a direct conclusion from the believers' spiritual death and resurrection with Christ, which he explained in the previous verses. Because they are "dead" to their old ways and their true life is now hidden with Christ, they must actively put to death the sinful desires and actions that still cling to their earthly existence. This leads into a list of specific vices that represent this "earthly" living, culminating in covetousness, which he declares is a form of idolatry.
Paul doesn't just tell us to resist sin; he uses a powerful word for 'putting to death.' What does this active, decisive action look like in our daily lives?
The word Paul uses here, 'mortify' (or 'put to death'), isn't about passive resistance. It's an active, intentional process of making something cease to live and exert power.
It's a Command, Not a Suggestion
This isn't a gentle nudge; it's a direct imperative. Because we are 'dead to sin' (Colossians 3:3), we are commanded to actively 'put to death' these earthly desires. This means we must engage in a relentless, ongoing battle against them.
Destroying Their Power
The goal isn't just to suppress these desires temporarily, but to eradicate their life and influence. As scholars note, it's about ensuring these 'members' (our bodies, or parts of our nature) are no longer used as instruments for sin. We must actively work to kill the power these sinful passions hold over us.
Paul lists several sins, but then singles out covetousness with a startling classification: 'which is idolatry.' Why is wanting what isn't yours so fundamentally linked to worshipping false gods?
Paul makes a crucial connection between covetousness and idolatry. This isn't just about wanting more; it's about where we place our ultimate trust and desire.
What is Covetousness?
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It's more than just a passing wish for someone else's possessions. It's an intense, greedy desire for what belongs to another. It reflects a deep dissatisfaction with God's provision and a belief that external things hold the key to happiness.
The Idol in the Heart
When we covet, we are essentially making something other than God the center of our affection and pursuit. We elevate possessions, status, or experiences to a place that only God should occupy. This misplaced devotion is the very definition of idolatry. Our 'members' (our desires, our actions) are then directed towards serving this idol instead of the living God.
Understand the original words
nekrōsate · Greek Verb
A decisive, active rejection and mortification of sinful impulses; it requires the ongoing empowerment of the Holy Spirit to kill the influence of the flesh and sinful nature.
porneian · Greek Noun
Any form of illicit sexual activity or unchastity that falls outside the boundaries of the marriage covenant as defined by God.
akatharsian · Greek Noun
Moral uncleanness, defilement, or corruption in a person's behavior, speech, or inner character, standing in direct contrast to divine holiness.
pathos · Greek Noun
An intense, uncontrolled, or sinful desire; often refers to strong, destructive cravings that overwhelm a person’s moral judgment and draw them away from obedience to God.
epithymian kakēn · Greek Noun and Adjective
The root movement of the heart toward what is sinful, forbidden, or against God’s will; it represents the corrupt inclination of the human nature before it is acted upon.
pleonexian · Greek Noun
The insatiable, sinful greed or intense desire for more, especially for what belongs to others; it is condemned as a form of worshiping created things rather than the Creator.
eidōlolatria · Greek Noun
The sin of elevating any created thing, person, or self-interest above God, making it an object of worship, devotion, or ultimate trust.
orgē · Greek Noun
The righteous indignation and settled judicial response of God against sin, rebellion, and ungodliness. It signifies God's holiness reacting against that which is contrary to His nature.
peripateō · Greek Verb
A habitual way of life or a manner of conduct; in a moral sense, it refers to the pattern of behavior and the ethical trajectory one follows.
Writing from Roman imprisonment, Paul addresses the Colossian church's struggle with teachings that blurred the lines between Christian faith and pagan philosophies. He powerfully contrasts the 'old self' with the 'new self' in Christ, urging believers to 'put to death' earthly desires that hinder their heavenly identity. This isn't just about personal purity; it's about renouncing a way of life that imitates the world rather than God.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Paul writes from Prison
Paul, imprisoned in Rome, dictates letters to churches he either founded or deeply cared about. Colossae, a city in Asia Minor, faced challenges from false teachings blending Jewish and pagan elements.
c. AD 50s
Early Church Growth in Asia Minor
The Christian faith rapidly spread through Asia Minor, creating vibrant communities that, like Colossae, were often influenced by their surrounding culture and philosophical ideas.
1st Century AD
Syncretism and Hellenistic Philosophy
The Roman province of Asia Minor was a melting pot of cultures and religions. Philosophical schools and mystery religions often blended with local traditions, creating a spiritual environment where distinct boundaries between Christian teaching and other beliefs could blur.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The foundational events of Christianity profoundly shaped the identity and ethical demands placed upon early believers. Believers were called to a new life, distinct from their former pagan or Jewish practices.
This passage echoes the idea of 'putting to death' the sinful actions of the body, linking it directly to living according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21This list of 'works of the flesh' directly parallels the specific sins Paul lists in Colossians, showing the destructive consequences of giving in to them.
Ephesians 5:3-5This passage shares a very similar list of sins, including 'covetousness, which is idolatry,' reinforcing the strong connection Paul makes between misplaced desires and worship.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This text urges believers to flee from sexual immorality and to honor God with their bodies, connecting physical sin directly to the temple of the Holy Spirit and God's ownership.
Matthew 6:24This verse highlights the ultimate conflict between serving God and serving wealth, directly supporting Paul's assertion that covetousness is a form of idolatry by placing material possessions in God's rightful place.
henryColossians 3:5-11: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"
3:5-11 It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them. Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carnal indulgences. Occasions of sin must be…
vincentColossians 3:5: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"
Mortify (νεκρώσατε)Only here, Romans 4:19; Hebrews 11:12. Mortify is used in its literal sense of put to death. So Erasmus: "Christ was mortified and killed." And Shakespeare:" - his wildness mortified in him,Seemed to die too.""1 Henry V., 1, 26"Members (μέλη)See on Romans 6:13. The physical members, so far as they…
The list of sins doesn't just name actions; it moves from specific acts like "sexual immorality" and "impurity" to the underlying "passion" and "evil desire" that fuel them. This progression reveals that the real battle is not just against outward behavior, but against the inner cravings that drive it, showing how deeply rooted these desires are.
Paul is drawing a direct conclusion from the believers' spiritual death and resurrection with Christ, which he explained in the previous verses. Because they are "dead" to their old ways and their true life is now hidden with Christ, they must actively put to death the sinful desires and actions that still cling to their earthly existence. This leads into a list of specific vices that represent this "earthly" living, culminating in covetousness, which he declares is a form of idolatry.
Paul is drawing a direct conclusion from the believers' spiritual death and resurrection with Christ, which he explained in the previous verses. Because they are "dead" to their old ways and their true life is now hidden with Christ, they must actively put to death the sinful desires and actions that still cling to their earthly existence. This leads into a list of specific vices that represent this "earthly" living, culminating in covetousness, which he declares is a form of idolatry.
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in th…" — The list of sins doesn't just name actions; it moves from specific acts like "sexual immorality" and "impurity" to the underlying "passion" and "evil desire" that fuel them. This progression reveals…
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Last reviewed October 2026
