In Deuteronomy, chapter seventeen, verse seven, the Israelites receive the command to keep themselves pure by removing from their midst those who lived ungodly lives and transgressed the covenant. The New Testament also requires congregations to discipline sinning members and expel those who continue to live in sin and immorality.
To put the evil away is to remove ourselves from the ungodly ways and live for God as declared in His Word. This approach is not simple as it sounds because we all begin life with a sinful nature. The family environment we are born into is significant because the child living with them can easily follow others’ habits and behavior without realizing the difference. To mimic something through speech or activity from someone, and not knowing if it is sinful or not, is dangerous. We live in a society and commute daily will tend to see things we may not understand in being good or evil.
People tend to spend at least one-third of the day with co-workers. Some are friendly, and others are not. For believers, the challenge is to overcome things such as constant profanity, sex talk, gossip about other colleagues, and overcoming verbal abuse or awful treatment. Constant exposure to these environments can take a toll on a godly soul and would need a spiritual cleansing. To filter out the carnal ways of society and feed ourselves with the Word of God, the sanctified gospel music, praise and worship, and prayer with God to recover.
Mark chapter seven, verse fifteen, roughly states nothing entering into a man can defile him: Only what comes out can. However, if believers continue to dwell in that corrupt environment and do not have daily spiritual maintenance, it is like a person inflating a balloon. They continue to add air until it eventually bursts. Still, regular devotion to God will cleanse all unrighteousness and be able to deflate the carnal ways of society from them. All believers need daily spiritual cleansing, or else temptation from that corrupt environment will continue to nag until the person commits or submits.