The Seven Deadly Sins, or what we will refer to as Capital Vices, are a grouping of sins within the teachings of Christianity. “Capital” comes from the Latin word for head (caput), meaning source, like the head of a river.

These sins have long been considered capital sins not because they are the worst, but because they are gateway sins through which all others flow.

The seven vices should also be seen as deeply ingrained, character-shaping habits of the heart. This insight is captured by the language of virtue and vice.

In our day, these vices are often seen as virtues — celebrating with pride our disordered love. While “sin” and “vice” are not popular concepts, removing sin from our language does not remove the reality that the wages of sin is still death.

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul used the language of “putting off” the old-self, dying to our sinful nature, and “putting on” the new-self — the process of transformation of our character from vice to virtue (Eph. 4:22-24).

The Apostle Peter tells us to “make every effort” to supplement our faith with virtue (2 Pet. 1:5).Therefore, throughout Lent we will identify particular vices in our lives that we are called to put to death and make every effort through repentance, spiritual disciplines, and Holy Spirit-empowered grace to replace them with the opposing kingdom virtues.

You are invited to embark on the well-worn path of historic, biblical Christianity by mediating on, wrestling with, and addressing the capital vices and replacing them with kingdom virtues through the season of Lent, following Jesus into the wilderness, resisting the devil, being ministered to by God’s Word, spurred on by God’s people, and filled with the Holy Spirit.