Putting to Death the Earthly Nature: A Daily Devotional on Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:5 states, “Therefore put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.” This verse serves as a direct command from the Apostle Paul, rooted in the reality of a Christian’s new life in Christ. Paul does not offer a suggestion nor a vague encouragement. Rather, he gives a decisive and forceful instruction that demands immediate and continual action. The language he uses is stark: “put to death.” There is no compromise, no negotiation, and no tolerance for sin. The believer is called to deal ruthlessly with the remnants of the old self that still attempt to rise within.

The Command to Put Sin to Death

The phrase “put to death” translates the Greek verb nekroō, meaning to kill, mortify, or render powerless. This word conveys the seriousness of the action. Paul does not tell Christians to suppress sin, to manage it, or to merely resist it temporarily. He calls for decisive execution of sin’s influence in the life of the believer. This imperative grows out of the preceding context, where Paul has already reminded Christians that they have died with Christ and have been raised with Him to a new life (Col. 3:1-4). Because of this new identity, the old sinful practices have no rightful place in the life of one who belongs to Christ.

The Christian life is not a matter of externally modifying behavior while inwardly harboring sinful desires. It is the putting to death of those very desires, rooting them out, and refusing to give them any foothold. To tolerate sin in the heart is to invite it to grow until it enslaves. Therefore, Paul commands a decisive, ongoing execution of the old nature.

Identifying the Sins of the Earthly Nature

Paul specifically names five categories of sin that must be put to death. These represent not merely outward acts but inward inclinations that corrupt the heart.

First, he names “sexual immorality” (porneia), a broad term that encompasses all forms of unlawful sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant established by God. This includes adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and any sexual act that distorts God’s design for human intimacy. In a world where sexual sin is normalized, Paul makes it clear that Christians must ruthlessly cut it off from their lives.

Second, he mentions “impurity” (akatharsia), referring to moral uncleanness. This can be expressed in lustful thoughts, filthy speech, or perverse imaginations. It is not confined to outward acts but includes the corruption of the inner mind.

Third, Paul warns against “passion” (pathos), which denotes uncontrolled and excessive desires, often sexual but also extending to any unrestrained craving. Such passions do not reflect self-control, a fruit of the Spirit, but instead demonstrate enslavement to sinful impulses.

Fourth, “evil desire” (epithymia kakē) refers to an appetite for what is forbidden, a longing for that which is contrary to God’s will. This covers coveting what belongs to others, desiring sinful pleasures, and nurturing cravings that lead to disobedience.

Finally, Paul lists “greed” (pleonexia), which he equates with idolatry. Greed is not merely the desire for more possessions but the insatiable craving that replaces devotion to Jehovah with devotion to material things. When one elevates possessions, wealth, or personal gain above God, that pursuit becomes an idol, demanding worship that belongs to God alone.

The Heart of Idolatry

Paul’s statement that greed is idolatry is profound. Idolatry is not only the bowing before statues of false gods. It is any devotion, craving, or dependence that replaces Jehovah with something else. When possessions, comfort, status, or pleasure take priority over obedience to Christ, they become idols. A Christian may outwardly avoid carved images but still harbor idols within the heart. Greed is especially deceptive because it cloaks itself in the pursuit of success, security, or even responsibility. Yet behind such pursuits may lie a refusal to trust God’s provision and a worship of self-sufficiency.

The Necessity of Continual Warfare

Paul’s command is not a one-time action but a continual practice. The Christian life involves ongoing warfare against the sinful nature. While believers have died with Christ and risen to new life, the old nature still seeks to assert itself. Putting sin to death is therefore a daily discipline, carried out with vigilance, prayer, and the application of God’s Word.

This is why Paul elsewhere exhorts believers to “make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:14) and to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). The battle begins in the mind and heart. By filling the mind with Scripture, by cultivating holiness in thought and conduct, and by relying upon Christ’s strength, the believer can continually mortify sin.

Living Out the New Identity in Christ

The motivation for putting sin to death is not legalistic rule-keeping but the reality of the believer’s new identity in Christ. Christians are those who have been raised with Christ and whose lives are hidden with Him in God (Col. 3:1-3). Therefore, the command to mortify sin flows from the reality of belonging to Christ. It is a call to live consistently with the new nature given by God through regeneration.

To put sin to death is to actively align oneself with Christ’s lordship, to choose Him over the fleeting pleasures of sin, and to pursue holiness in thought, word, and action. It is to daily deny self, take up one’s cross, and follow Christ (Matt. 16:24). It is to remember that eternal life is not the possession of those who cling to sin but the inheritance of those who walk faithfully with Christ, enduring to the end.

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