Having rallied us to set our minds on Christ, Paul writes that we must wage war against our sin as it leads to death—a hollow existence. The gospel of our culture is to follow all of our impulses to reach our personal idea of happiness. But the gospel of Jesus is that when we deny ourselves and submit to him, we step into life beyond measure and a kingdom greater than ourselves.
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. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.