Idolatry is the worship of idols or excessive devotion to something. Worship is the reverent love expressed toward God or a thing.  Covetousness and other desires can easily become idolatry. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them." (Colossians 3:5-7)

     Whenever a person places more emphasis on self and self wants than God, that act or thought is idolatry. Idols can be things like a vehicle, food, another person, lust, and so on. Placing self above God is worshiping the creature, and not worshiping God.  "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:24-25)

     A person does not have to physically worship an image to be guilty of idolatry. "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?" (Ezekiel 14:3) No, you do not have to physically bow down to an idol to be a wicked idolater. A person's heart can be filled with idols that tend to block out the light of God.