Put to Death, Put Away, Put On

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. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:5-10)

Paul’s words here are both sobering and freeing—put to death what is earthly in you, put away the old ways, and put on the new self. The “earthly” in us is not neutral; it is idolatry, because it serves self rather than God. Jesus Himself said that to follow Him, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Crucifixion wasn’t quick—it was long, grueling, and deeply painful. In the same way, putting to death the earthly desires in us is often a slow and costly process.

The flesh will fight to survive, because it’s part of us. But if we are in Christ, we must choose to nail it to the cross—those selfish desires, those lustful thoughts, that prideful outlook, that lingering bitterness—and refuse to let them climb back down. Putting them to death means also putting away the behaviors and attitudes that flow from them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. These don’t erupt out of nowhere; they start as desires, turn into thoughts, grow into emotions, and then become actions. Cut them off at the root.

But God never tells us to simply empty ourselves and leave the space vacant. Right after putting off the old self, we are told to put on the new self. In Christ, this new self is already ours positionally—we have been clothed in His righteousness. Now, in practice, we walk, speak, and act in a way that reflects it. And this new self is not stagnant; it’s being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Day by day, as we submit to God’s work in us, the old fades, the new grows, and our lives look more like Jesus. So today, heed the command – put to death therefore what is earthly in you – and put on the new self.