Colossians 3:8 tells believers to set aside anger, rage, malice, slander and abusive speech, the kinds of words and attitudes that poison relationships. Paul writes this as a direct instruction to the Christians in Colosse, a young church in what is now western Turkey, after he has already told them to put to death sins such as sexual immorality and greed. The verse is a command about the heart and the tongue, and it is part of a larger picture of a person being remade in Christ.
But now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth.
Colossians 3:8 (WEB)
What Colossians 3:8 Means
The verse begins with “but now,” which marks a sharp contrast with how these believers used to live. Paul is not saying they were never tempted by these things again. He is describing a change of direction: the way of life that once defined them is no longer their home. The phrase “put them all away” is the language of taking off dirty clothes, something a person does deliberately and repeatedly, not a feeling that simply arrives one day.
The list moves from inner feelings to outward speech. “Anger” and “wrath” describe emotional heat, with wrath often pointing to a surge that bursts out. “Malice” is a settled ill will that wants another person harmed. “Slander” and “shameful speaking” name the damage done through words, whether false accusations or cutting remarks meant to shame. Paul’s point is that bad feelings left alone tend to become bad words.
What the verse does not promise is that the struggle disappears overnight. It does not say that a believer will never feel angry again. It gives a clear standard and a reason to pursue it, which is the transformed identity Paul describes in the verses that follow.
The Context of Colossians 3:8
Colossians was written by Paul, traditionally during his imprisonment, and it was sent to a congregation he had not personally founded but cared about deeply. The letter answers a teaching that was pulling believers toward human philosophy, rituals and spiritual showmanship, and Paul responds by stressing that Christ is supreme and sufficient. Against that backdrop, the moral instructions in chapter 3 show what life in Christ looks like in ordinary daily conduct.
Just before verse 8, Paul tells the readers to “put to death” their earthly habits, including sexual immorality and covetousness, and he warns that God’s wrath falls on such disobedience. Verse 8 then addresses a different area: the way people treat one another in speech and temper. Verse 9 follows directly with “Don’t lie to one another,” and verses 10 and 11 describe the new self being renewed and the end of ethnic and social divisions in Christ. Read in that sequence, verse 8 is not a random list of bad habits but part of a complete reorientation of the whole person.
Key Phrases in Colossians 3:8
Ephesians 4:31
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
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Paul makes a closely related appeal to the same church family here, listing bitterness, wrath, anger and slander and calling for them to be removed. Reading it alongside Colossians 3:8 shows that this was a consistent concern in Paul’s teaching about life together in Christ.
James 1:19
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger…
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James gives a practical rhythm for avoiding the anger that Colossians 3:8 names: be quick to listen and slow to speak and to become angry. It helps readers see how to practice the putting away that Paul describes, one conversation at a time.
A Short Prayer From Colossians 3:8
Lord, you know how quickly my temper rises and how easily my words can turn sharp when I feel hurt or overlooked. I confess the anger, the bitterness and the careless talk that I have allowed to take up space in my heart. Help me to recognize these things early, before they come out of my mouth. Give me the courage to lay them aside and the humility to speak truthfully and kindly. Make my words an honest reflection of the new life you have given me. Amen.
