Putting Off the Old Life | Colossians 3:5-11

Devotional

Day 1: Mortifying Sinful Desires Like Uprooting Weeds

The Christian life demands radical surgery against sin’s roots, not just trimming its leaves. Paul commands believers to “mortify” corrupt desires—not manage or excuse them. Like invasive weeds, unchecked sinful cravings choke spiritual growth and spread silently beneath the surface. Half-measures fail; only complete removal protects the garden of the heart. This requires brutal honesty about what’s thriving in hidden soil. [29:15]

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5, KJV)

Reflection: What desire have you been “managing” instead of uprooting? How might its hidden roots still drain life from your relationship with Christ?

Day 2: When Possessions Become Buried Alive

Spiritual hoarding occurs when cravings for more—approval, control, comfort—pile up until they entomb joy. Like storage units overflowing with unused items, hearts cluttered with covetousness mistake accumulation for fulfillment. Paul warns this isn’t mere materialism; it’s idolatry, prioritizing earthly treasures over Christ’s sufficiency. Freedom comes not from organizing the clutter, but demolishing its hold. [22:57]

“For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” (Colossians 3:6, KJV)

Reflection: What have you been collecting—emotionally or spiritually—that now buries your capacity to receive God’s daily bread?

Day 3: Respecting Sin’s Voltage Without Living in Terror

Electricity demands respect, not obsession. Similarly, sin’s destructive power requires vigilance without paralyzing fear. Paul balances grace and holiness: God’s wrath against sin is real, but believers walk in Christ’s victory. Like a skilled electrician, wisdom avoids playing with live wires of temptation while trusting the breaker of Christ’s blood has cut sin’s power. [50:47]

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, KJV)

Reflection: Where do you need to replace careless familiarity with sin with a sober reverence for its cost?

Day 4: When Roots Linger Beneath Renewed Soil

Even after chopping down a rotten tree, decaying roots leave hollows in the ground. Similarly, habits and thought patterns shaped by years of sin may leave imprints long after repentance. Paul acknowledges believers’ pasts but insists growth happens as grace patiently fills those voids with Christ’s character. Sanctification is less about erasing scars and more about cultivating new life in their place. [32:47]

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24, KJV)

Reflection: What lingering “root grooves” from past choices need Christ’s redemptive topsoil today?

Day 5: Walking on Rock, Not Squishy Ground

Salvation lifts believers from sin’s quicksand to solid ground—but old instincts tempt them to wander back to unstable terrain. Paul contrasts the firm “rock” of identity in Christ with the shifting sand of former desires. Like packed beach sand hardening under waves, daily obedience fortifies resolve against the pull of what once felt familiar. [58:47]

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” (Psalm 40:2, KJV)

Reflection: Where are you still choosing squishy compromises over the unshakable path of Christ’s commands?

Sermon Summary

Paul moves from the believer’s heavenly position to the believer’s earthly conduct. Colossians 3 has already called God’s people to set their affection on things above, because this world is not home and life here is just a blip compared to eternity. Christ has saved, the Spirit has sealed, and grace has guaranteed a place with God, not because of human goodness, but because of God’s grace. That heavenly position now changes the way a child of God lives on earth.

Paul says, “Mortify therefore,” and that word is strong on purpose. Grace does not teach believers to tolerate sin, manage sin, excuse sin, or hide sin. Grace teaches believers to put sin to death. Sin is not a pet to be entertained, and it is not clutter to be shifted from one pile to another. Sin is an enemy, and if it is left alone, it grows like weeds in a flower bed until it takes over what should have been fruitful.

Paul presses deeper than outward action. God is not only concerned with what hands do, but with what hearts desire. Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, and evil concupiscence move from visible acts down into polluted desires, shameful passions, and cravings that run outside God’s bounds. The text does not condemn affection itself, because God made affection good. The text condemns affection when it becomes disordered, corrupted, and aimed at what God forbids.

Covetousness is called idolatry because the heart can make “more” into a god. A statue bought at a concrete store may look like an idol, but the deeper idol may be the belief that fulfillment cannot come until more possessions, more success, more experiences, or more recognition arrive. That kind of desire never satisfies, because rich is always “a little bit more than you currently have.” Anything the heart believes it must have in order to be fulfilled can become an idol.

Paul then gives the serious reason sin must be put to death: the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. God does not wink at sin. The cross shows how seriously God hates sin, because wrath fell on Christ there. Grace does not make sin less serious, it reveals both the depth of guilt and the goodness of mercy.

Paul reminds believers that the old life has passed. Those sins once marked their walk, but they do not have to define their present. God changes people, pulls them out of the miry clay, and sets their feet on a rock. What God has forgiven does not have to be lived in again.

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Key Takeaways

1. Grace teaches sin’s execution Grace does not babysit sin or make room for it in the corner of the heart. Paul’s word “mortify” means the believer must treat sinful desire like an enemy, not like something to manage until it gets quieter. Sin that is merely hidden is still being nourished, and what is nourished will grow roots. [24:59]
2. God reaches beneath actions The text does not stop at whether the outward act happened. God knows the inward pollution, the disordered affection, and the craving that may never be seen by another person. Holiness is not just clean behavior in public, but desires brought under the authority of Christ. [36:06]
3. Covetousness makes more a god Covetousness is not simply planning for the future or wanting something lawful. Covetousness begins when the heart believes fulfillment is impossible unless it gets more. That idol keeps moving the finish line, because the heart ruled by “more” never finally arrives. [41:23]
4. The cross measures sin’s seriousness God’s wrath is not moodiness or overreaction, but his holy opposition to evil. The cross proves that forgiveness did not come because sin was small, but because Christ bore what sin deserved. Grace should therefore create sober fear, not casual rebellion. [48:50]
5. The old life need not define Paul reminds believers that they once walked in those sins, but that old walk is not home anymore. Past labels may linger in people’s minds, but God is still molding, shaping, and changing his children. Grace remembers where mercy found a person without forcing that person to live there.

## [52:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:03] - Opening Colossians 3:5-11
[20:22] - Setting Affections Above
[22:12] - Spiritual Clutter Must Go
[24:59] - Mortify Sin, Do Not Manage It
[26:53] - Sin Cannot Be Treated Casually
[29:15] - Sin Grows Like Weeds
[33:23] - Fornication And Uncleanness
[36:47] - Disordered Affections And Evil Desire
[40:04] - Covetousness Is Idolatry
[45:35] - The Wrath Of God Against Sin
[51:54] - The Old Life Has Passed
[59:24] - Stand On The Rock, Not The Mud

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Colossians 3:5-11
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” [17:03]

Colossians 3:1-2
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Ephesians 5:5-6
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”

Psalm 40:2
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

Observation questions

In Colossians 3:5, what sins does Paul name before he ever gets to the command to “put off” things in verse 8? [33:23]
What connection does Paul make between covetousness and idolatry in Colossians 3:5? [40:04]
According to Colossians 3:6-7, what reason is given for taking these sins seriously, and how does Paul remind believers of their past walk? [45:35]
In Colossians 3:1-2 and Colossians 3:5, what word ties the believer’s heavenly focus to the call to deal with earthly sin? [24:10]

Interpretation questions

Paul does not say to manage sin, but to mortify it. What does that reveal about how dangerous sin really is, even when it seems small or private? [24:59]
Paul’s list moves from outward acts down into inward desire. Why is it important that God addresses not only what a person does, but also what a person loves, craves, and entertains in the heart? [38:32]
Covetousness is called idolatry. How can the desire for more—whether possessions, success, experiences, or recognition—quietly take the place that belongs to God alone? [41:23]
Paul reminds believers that they once walked in these things. How does that truth both humble a Christian and also give hope that change is really possible? [52:26]

Application questions

Is there any sin in life right now that has been treated more like a manageable habit than a deadly enemy? What does it look like to stop making room for it and begin putting it to death? [26:53]
God is concerned with inward desires, not just outward appearances. What thoughts, cravings, or private patterns need to be honestly brought before the Lord instead of being hidden behind “I didn’t actually do it”? [36:06]
Covetousness says, “I will be fulfilled when I finally get more.” Where is that kind of thinking most tempting right now—in money, possessions, status, experiences, or something else? [43:24]
The cross shows how seriously God takes sin. How would everyday choices change if that truth stayed in the foreground this week? [48:50]
Some sins send roots down deep and do not disappear quickly. Where is patience needed in personal growth, and where is grace needed when dealing with someone else who is still battling old roots? [32:38]
Past sins may describe where a person once walked, but they do not have to define where that person lives now. Is there any past label, failure, or shame that still feels too powerful? What would it look like to stand on the rock instead of returning to the mud? [59:24]
Setting affection on things above should change conduct on earth. What is one practical change that would show that the heart is really aiming higher than this world? [20:22]

Sermon Clips

46s

#GraceRevealsSin

“``As we look at sin, we understand that because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness of our sins, but understand this, sometimes believers misuse grace and the gospel does not make sin less serious. Sometimes we get this idea, well, I'm forgiven, so it's not that big of a deal, but the cross proves the opposite. You wanna know how bad God hates your sin. Look at the cross as the wrath of God was poured about poured upon Jesus Christ on the cross. That's what God thinks about my sin and your sin. Grace does not minimize sin. In fact, grace reveals the depth of our guilt, the goodness of God's mercy. That's what it does.”

37s

#MortifySin

“Grace does not teach us, by the way, to tolerate sin in our lives. Grace teaches us here in this text that we are to mortify it. We're to put it to death, that it no longer reigns in our life. So Paul uses two strong pictures. The first one is to mortify, and the second one that we will look at is to put off. Mortify means to put to death, and put off means to remove almost like a filthy garment that you get rid of, you don't need it anymore, you don't want it anymore, and it's not good for you anymore.”

59s

#NewIdentityInChrist

“That life belonged in the past. Yes. That's where we once lived. That's what we once did. That's how we once governed our life, but not anymore. Now, I belong to Jesus. Jesus belongs to me. Gone are the things of the past. Gone are the things that that once held me back, and now I can walk in freedom and liberty in Christ Jesus. Now, is not to say that as a believer we don't still struggle with old sins, habits of the past, things that we should not do, but here's a truth, we should no longer feel at home in them. The truth is there are some things in which we could do in the past and it didn't bother us a bit, but as a believer, it ought to start to bother us when we sin. Our identity, who we are should shape shape the way we live. Paul's logic is very simple. You used to live that way, but you don't belong there anymore. That's not who you are. So, don't continue walking as though nothing has changed.”

46s

#TakeSinSeriously

“Here's one of the issues we have, we treat sin too casually. It's almost as if something it's not really that big of a deal. In fact, let me rephrase that. We treat our sin, not others, but our sin as not big of a deal. Other people sin, oh, it's a major deal. The reality is we we come up with names for different names. Did you know a lie is a lie? We're gonna get down to lies toward the end of text, but did you know a lie is a lie? There's not like a color palette to it. Right? A lie is a lie. But too often, we kinda categorize how our lie isn't as big of a deal as someone else's. We rename them, we we come up with excuses.”

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Putting Off the Old Life | Colossians 3:5-11 | 8/2/26 AM