Albert Barnes Commentary Colossians 3:5

"Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;" — Colossians 3:5 (ASV)

Mortify therefore your members. Since you are dead to sin and the world, and are to appear with Christ in the glories of His kingdom, subdue every carnal and evil propensity of your nature.

The word mortify means, to put to death (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:24); and the meaning here is that they were entirely to subdue their evil propensities, so that they would have no remains of life; that is, they were not at all to indulge them.

The word "members" here refers to the different members of the body—as the seat of evil desires and passions .

They were wholly to extirpate those evil passions which he specifies as having their seat in the various members of the earthly body.

Fornication. (Romans 1:29).

Uncleanness. (Romans 1:24).

Inordinate affection. payov. Rendered in Romans 1:26, "vile affections." (Romans 1:26).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:5, the word is rendered lust—which is its meaning here.

Evil concupiscence. Evil desires; licentious passions (Romans 1:24, from Greek).

And covetousness, which is idolatry. It is remarkable that the apostle always ranks covetousness with these base and detestable passions. The meaning here is:

1. that it is a low and debasing passion, like those which he had specified; and
2. that it secures the affections which properly belong to God, and is therefore idolatry.

Of all base passions, this is the one that most dethrones God from the soul. See this whole passage more fully explained (Ephesians 5:3, Ephesians 5:4, Ephesians 5:5, Ephesians 5:6).