Seven Deadly Sins

The early Roman Catholic Church divided sins into those which could be forgiven (venial sins) and capital sins which would result in eternal damnation unless confessed during the sacrament of Confession. Capital sins were known as Deadly Sins because they could have a fatal effect on an individual’s soul.

The Seven Deadly Sins were formalised by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th Century, although the concept of major human vices dated back to Greek times. They were, from most serious to least: pride, envy, anger, sadness, avarice, gluttony, and lust.

In 1589, Peter Binsfeld paired each of the Seven Deadly Sins with a demon, who tempted people by means of the associated sin. According to Binsfeld's Classification of Demons, the pairings are as follows:

Lust: Asmodeus

Gluttony: Beelzebub

Greed: Mammon

Sloth: Belphegor

Wrath: Satan

Envy: Leviathan

Pride: Lucifer

The Roman Catholic Church also recognizes seven holy virtues which correspond to each of the seven deadly sins.

Vice: Virtue

Lust: Chastity

Gluttony: Temperance

Greed:Charity

Sloth:Diligence

Wrath: Forgiveness

Envy: Kindness

Pride: Humility

Seven Deadly Sins in "Supernatural"

In episode 3.01 The Magnificent Seven the seven deadly sins, who were released when the Devil's Gate was opened, possess humans and start killing people. Bodily contact appears to imbue the person touched with that sin. Thus a family starve to death in front of a television (Sloth), Isaac drinks drain cleaner (Gluttony), while Pride confronts Sam and Lust tries to seduce Dean.

Envy possesses Walter, who is killed in the process, but is exorcised by Tamara. After Gluttony kills Isaac, he is possessed by Wrath, but is immobilized by Tamara with a stake of Palo Santo. Sloth is trapped under a Devil's Trap and exorcised by Bobby, while Lust is subdued by Dean with Holy Water. Wrath and Lust are later exorcised by Bobby. Gluttony, Greed, and Pride are killed by Ruby with a demon-killing knife.