Colossians 3:7

In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Colossians 3:7 (KJV)

Context

Paul’s words point back to the sins listed in Colossians 3:5: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. The phrase “In the which” refers directly to that catalogue of sinful behaviors.

The verb “walked” is a common biblical metaphor for one’s conduct or manner of life. Paul is not describing occasional lapses but a habitual way of living. The clause “when ye lived in them” reinforces that these sins were not isolated mistakes; they were the environment in which the Colossian believers once existed.

Meaning

Paul acknowledges that the Colossians, before becoming followers of Christ, were entangled in the very practices the letter now condemns. Their former manner of living was characterized by those sins. Yet after their conversion, they are called to abandon that old way and embrace a new life in Him.

This verse serves as a clear reminder that the former way of life should not be continued. It exhorts believers to put off the sinful practices and attitudes that marked their lives before they became followers of Christ. The passage highlights the transformation that occurs in the life of a believer: while it acknowledges past sins, it stresses the importance of leaving those habits behind and walking in the new life granted by Christ.

Biblical connections

The reminder of the past is not meant to condemn but to contrast with the believer’s new identity. In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul urges believers to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. The same chapter calls them to put off the old man and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator.

Application

This verse underscores the grace of God in calling believers out of that former way of life. It also implies that a return to those sins would be a regression to a former, defeated state. The believer’s past is a fact, but it is a past from which they have been delivered. Therefore, this verse functions as a powerful motivation for holy living, grounded in the believer’s identity in Christ and the reality of their past deliverance.