Enslaved (1398) (douleuo from doulos = slave or one who is in bondage or bound to another, in the state of being completely controlled by someone or something) means to be in bondage or in the position of servant and to act accordingly, dutifully obeying the master's commands. The present tense signifies this was our lifestyle (continually enslaved) and active voice indicates that we made the willful choice to submit ourselves to the strong, corrupt desires that originate from our fallen (see discussion of Sin) nature inherited from Adam. Every person born in the flesh becomes a slave to the rule and reign of SIN, Paul instructing us that "just as through one man (Adam) Sin entered into the world and death through Sin and so death spread to all men because all sinned" (see note Romans 5:12). In other words all men commit sins because all men have inherited the "Sin" gene (the propensity to sin) from Adam, our first father. Our very constitution "in Adam" is sinful and we have neither the desire nor the power to do anything but commit sins. We are sinners by nature (by birth). All men are therefore both willingly and inevitably enslaved to sin in its many and various forms. Therefore, although we as believers cannot help being dismayed when we see evil flourishing, we should not be surprised (cf Ps 73:3, 4, 5 [Spurgeon's note], Hab 1:3), for apart from being born again (in the spirit) by grace through faith in Christ, a person has no alternative but to habitually commit sins. Jesus taught this same truth declaring "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who (continually, habitually) commits sin is the slave of sin." (Jn 8:34) In describing false teachers, Peter writes that "by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved." (see note 2 Peter 2:19) The NLT paraphrases it They (the false teachers) promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. Paul adds that "Do you not know that when you (continually) present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience (to do his will), you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of (the power of Sin) resulting in death or of obedience resulting in righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? (see note Romans 6:16) Servitude in the ancient world, whether voluntary or involuntary, was rigid and gave the master an absolute right over his slave. Clarke adds that the unsaved are in a state of continual thraldom (enslavement); not served or gratified by our lusts and pleasures, but living, as their slaves, a life of misery and wretchedness. Matthew Henry ties this trait with "deceived" observing that "Men deceived are easily entangled and ensnared; they would not serve divers lusts and pleasures as they do, were they not blinded and beguiled into them." All (no exceptions) unregenerate men and women are enslaved to Sin by the "chains" of their passions and pleasures and are completely under Sin's control. In Romans Paul writes "that both Jews and Greeks are all under (the power of) Sin." (see note Romans 3:9) Writing to the Galatians Paul taught that "the Scripture has shut up all men under SIN" (Gal 3:22a, NAS). The NLT paraphrases it this way "the Scriptures have declared that we are all prisoners of sin". Jesus came to set men free from slavery to SIN, at the inauguration of His ministry quoting from Isaiah in the synagogue, declaring "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden." (Lk 4:18) Where is the freedom from slavery to SIN revealed? In the Gospel for through the Gospel Jesus "delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." (see note Colossians 1:13) Even in the Old Testament, Isaiah had prophesied that Jesus would come "to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison." (Is 42:6) In Romans 6 Paul elaborates on the great truth that when we are taken from our state of slavery to Sin (personified as a master) "in Adam" and placed "in Christ", the power of Sin in our life is irrevocably broken. Yes, we all continue to commit sins but for the first time we have the power within us to say "No" to the reign of Sin. Paul writes that when "our old self (i.e., who we were were in Adam = spiritually dead) was crucified with (Christ), our body of Sin (became ineffective, inoperative, inactive, powerless and) that we should no longer be slaves to SIN (i.e., to the power which Sin exerted over us to control us and force us to commit sins) for he who has died is freed from (the control of) SIN." (see notes Romans 6:6; 6:7) Sin formerly had dominion over us, but now believers can consider themselves truly "dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (see note Romans 6:11) Paul goes on to teach that because of our death ("co-crucifixion" with Christ) to Sin, now we are not to permit "Sin (to) reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to Sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For Sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace." (see notes Romans 6:12; 6:13; 6:14) Here in Titus 3, Paul is reminding the Cretan believers that "we also once were" slaves of Sin. Spurgeon comments... we were “serving divers lusts and pleasures.” The word for “serving” means being under servitude. We were once the slaves of divers lusts and pleasures. By lusts we understand desires, longings, ambitions, passions. Many are these masters, and they are all tyrants. Some are ruled by greed for money; others crave for fame; some are enslaved by lust for power; others by the lust of the eye; and many by the lusts of the flesh. TO VARIOUS LUSTS AND PLEASURES: epithumiais kai hedonais poikilais: slaves to all sorts of cravings and pleasures (Amp) Various (4164) (poikilos) indicates a diversity of many kinds of "lusts and pleasures". We all know too well the various shades and hues of these strong desires. Synonyms include manifold, variegated, multi-hued, many-colored, multi-colored, polychromatic, kaleidoscopic. "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/titus_33.htm#ENSLAVED%20DOULEUO