What is Concupiscence in 1 Thessalonians 4:5

What Is Concupiscence in 1 Thessalonians 4:5?
1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 says:
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” (NKJV)

The King James Version uses the older phrase “the lust of concupiscence.”
But what does this word actually mean?

Concupiscence Defined
The word “concupiscence” comes from the Greek word epithymia, which means:

• An intense, burning desire
• Uncontrolled appetite
• Passion that rules the person
• Lust that leads to sinful actions

Concupiscence isn’t just desire—it’s desire that has taken the throne of the heart.
It is lust without restraint, craving without boundaries, and passion without the fear of God.
In this passage, Paul applies it specifically to sexual lust, which was rampant and normalized in pagan culture.

Why Paul Warns Believers About It
Paul gives three reasons why concupiscence must be rejected:
1. Holiness Is God’s Will
God desires His people to be set apart—not blending into the culture, but standing out as holy.
2. Sexual Sin Dishonors the Body
Paul calls the body “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
Concupiscence leads people to treat the body as an object of pleasure instead of a vessel of honor.
3. Unbelievers Live by Their Passions—Believers Live by the Spirit
Paul contrasts “Gentiles who do not know God” with believers who are filled with the Spirit.
The world follows its desires.
Christians follow Christ.

“Possess Your Vessel” Means You Are Responsible
Paul says each believer must “possess his own vessel”—meaning you must control your body, not be controlled by it.

This destroys the excuses our culture loves to use:

• “I couldn’t help it.”
• “That’s just how I am.”
• “Everyone struggles with it.”

The Bible says:
You CAN help it.
Through the Holy Spirit, you ARE able to walk in holiness.
Romans 6:12 — “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body.”
This means we choose the Spirit over the flesh.
Concupiscence Leads to Slavery

Jesus said:
“Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34)
Uncontrolled desires always lead to bondage.
But the Spirit sets us free.
Galatians 5:16
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

How to Defeat Concupiscence
Here are four biblical steps:
1. Walk in the Spirit daily
Stay in the Word. Stay in prayer. Stay obedient.
2. Guard your eyes
Job said, “I made a covenant with my eyes.”
3. Kill the hidden sin
Don’t feed it. Don’t hide it. Bring it into the light.
4. Honor God with your body
You were bought with a price—live like it.

Conclusion
Concupiscence is not an outdated word—it’s a modern battle.
But the Word of God is clear:
The Spirit gives believers the power to overcome the lusts that try to rule them.
Holiness is possible.
Purity is possible.
Victory is possible—through Jesus Christ.