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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"In the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." That is, having no spiritual affections. Yet, lest he should slander the flesh, or lest it should be supposed that the transgression was not great, observe how he guards the matter, "Doing," he says, "the desires of the flesh and of the mind." That is, the pleasurable passions. We provoked God to anger, he saith, we provoked Him to wrath, we were wrath, and nothing else. …
Gregory of Nyssa
The divine Scripture knows how to use the word "Son" in both senses, so that in some cases such an appellation is derived from nature, in others it is adventitious and artificial. For when it speaks of "sons of men," or "sons of rams," it marks the essential relation of that which is begotten to that from which it has its being: but when it speaks of "sons of power," or "children of God," it presents to us that kinship which is the result of choice. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Not only does he reassure them by this, saying that our sinfulness came from the devil, but also by placing both himself and all others in the same position as them, since no one was without sin. By the lusts of the flesh he means those that arise from carnal-mindedness. That he is not reproaching the flesh here is clear. For having said "fulfilling the desires of the flesh," he adds "and of the mind," that is, thinking of nothing spiritual. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
Accordingly, the Apostle Paul, in a certain passage, having both conditions in view,—even the wrath of God with which we are born, and the grace whereby we are delivered,—says: "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. …
Jerome
There is a difference between sin of the flesh and sin of the mind. The sin of the flesh is indecency and profligacy and whatever might act as instrument to its lusts. The transgression of the mind pertains to doctrine contrary to truth and to the baseness of heretics.
Thomas Aquinas
Next, the Apostle recalls the sinful state of the Jews, thereby demonstrating how everyone had sinned, according to that saying of Romans 3:9: "For we have charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin." Nevertheless, a difference should be noted. The Apostle had designated two causes when dealing with the sin of the Gentiles, one on the side of the world and the other on that of the demons whom they worshiped. …
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