How can I put to death earthly sins?

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." —Colossians 3:5

For those of us who are earnestly trying to do our best to follow Christ, we may sometimes feel defeated by our failure to reject sin. It can seem like an uphill battle when temptation presents itself, we entertain it, and then we give in—time and time again.

However, in Colossians 3:5, Paul tells believers that we DO have the ability to "put to death" what is earthly, which he identifies as sexual immorality, impurity, [sexual] passion, evil desire, and covetousness. Of course, having the ability to do something doesn't mean it'll be easy, but it does mean it's possible.

Sanctification is a Process

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification..." —1 Thessalonians 4:3

Sanctification refers to the process of becoming holy or "set apart" from the world (1 Peter 1:13-16). Jesus prayed for us, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). There are two ways we become sanctified:

Positional Sanctification - All believers are positionally sanctified or "set apart" from the moment they accept Christ. That means that we are "set free from every sin" by the blood of Christ (Acts 13:39). Even still, we will sin on daily basis (1 John 1:8-10). But that doesn't change whether we are saved from the punishment of sin, because salvation is based on God's grace—not how "good" we can be (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Experiential Sanctification - This kind of sanctification is the effect of obeying God's Word (2 Peter 3:18). As we live our lives in a godly manner, make healthy decisions, learn, and grow in our faith, we begin to experience sanctification. One of the ways we can do that is to "put to death" our sinful desires. God started the work of making us like Christ (positional sanctification), and He will continue to do so as we pursue sanctification each day (1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14).

"I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." —Philippians 1:6

Crucify the "Old Self"

"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." —Romans 6:6

In Romans 6:6, Paul teaches that children of God have a new identity in Jesus. Our old self was crucified with Christ on the cross so that our body of sin "might be brought to nothing" and so that we would no longer be slaves to sinful temptations.

When our old self has been put to death, that means we're no longer connected to our dead, former selves. Instead, we are free in Christ! The challenge we face at this moment is to live in alignment with our new identity (Romans 6:7-11).

Living with a New Identity

"Thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." —Romans 6:17-18

So many believers struggle with identifying themselves with their sin, using "I am" statements rather than "I struggle with" statements. God does not command us to beat ourselves up over our sin, and He certainly does not intend for us to identify ourselves BY our sin.

Yes, when we sin, we should acknowledge it and confess it to God, and He will faithfully forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that, because we are set free from sin, we can now present ourselves as "slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification" (Romans 6:19).

When we're in the thick of the battle against temptations and our old sin nature, we should remind ourselves of who we are. We are no longer slaves to sin but saves to righteousness. We are no longer a product of our sinful choices or mistakes but precious sons and daughters of the Most High God (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1).

Surrender to the Holy Spirit

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" —Romans 8:14-15

Children of God are not alone in their battle against sin. We have the Holy Spirit (who is God himself) living within us (Romans 8:9-11). We can lean into His power, guidance, and influence as we seek to put to death the earthly sins in our life and make choices that honor God.

The Holy Spirit sets Himself against our "desires of the flesh" and leads us into righteousness (Galatians 5:16–18). As this happens, the effects of sin become less evident in our lives, and the fruits of the Spirit become more evident: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:19–26). As believers, we're commanded to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18), which means we must surrender ourselves to the Spirit's full power—even in the midst of intense temptations.

No One Does It Perfectly

Can you relate to the cycle of choosing to resist temptations, resist the sinful nature, and then failing again and again anyway? You're not alone in that struggle! Sometimes these "failures" lead to spirals of shame, regret, and overwhelm. But the Bible tells us that this shame and regret is not necessary.

Romans 8:1-2 says that that there is "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" and that the "law of the Spirit of life" has set us free in "Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." As believers, we are NOT defined by our sin. We are forgiven, redeemed, and set apart as new creations in Christ.

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." —2 Corinthians 5:17

Through the work of sanctification in our life, we can live in alignment with our new identity as children of God, find security in our forgiveness from God, and lean on the Holy Spirit's strength and guidance as we "put to death" our earthly sins.

A Practical Plan of Action

One crucial thing to remember is we cannot conquer our flesh through our flesh. We cannot depend on our own willpower, strength, or diligence to conquer our sin. In other words, we must put no confidence in our flesh but depend wholly on the Lord during temptation; some practical ways to do this is as follows:

Focus your thoughts on what honors God.

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." —Philippians 4:8

Try making a list of things in your life that fit into these categories and list them in your phone's notes. The next time you're tempted by "earthly things" that do not honor God, review your list of God-honoring things and shift your focus.

Abide in Christ.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." —John 15:5

When believers draw near to God, He will draw near to them (James 4:8). When we're talking to God, obeying His commands, and applying His wisdom, we can be assured that we're on the right track (John 15:10). No, it's not always easy, but it's definitely worth your time and effort (John 15:16).

If you struggle to invest time with God, maybe set reminders for yourself to pray throughout the day—even if you can't find a quiet place or you don't think you have time. It's OK to keep the communication open with God as you go through your day. Short prayers are better than no prayers.

Prioritize reading His Word to learn more about God's truth (John 10:27-28)—even if it's on a bus ride, or during a meal break, or as an audio reading while you do other tasks. During this time (or later if you need to), make notes about what God is teaching you. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Just take time to process God's Word. Ask Him to help you apply His Word in your daily thoughts and actions (John 14:26).

Submit to God.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." —James 4:7

Resisting the devil must be accompanied by submitting to God. If we're disobedient or refuse to surrender, we won't be able to resist the temptations of earthly sins.

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." —Ephesians 6:12

Try writing a prayer on your phone's notes and pin it so you can reference it when you're feeling tempted to give into sin. For example: "Father, I'm tempted to disobey You right now. I confess that I can't resist this temptation on my own. I submit to you, and ask you to give me the strength to obey your Word right now. Help me resist temptation."

No matter how much of a battle it is to put to death earthly sins, followers of Christ are given everything we need to do so. We have a new identity, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, access to communication with God, and the ability to apply His Word in our lives. We can find practical steps to limit temptation or help us through those moments. As we attempt to "put to death" earthly sins, we must not lean on their own willpower but depend on God's strength and power.

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