Q133_082426 Rom. 8:13,14 There's A Right Way And A Wrong Way Of Dealing With TemptationQ133_082426 Rom. 8:13,14 There's A Right Way And A Wrong Way Of Dealing With Temptation
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook reflects on Romans 8:13–14 to contrast legalistic fear with a faith-based way of facing temptation and addiction. He talks about guilt, shame, and identity as children of God as key themes in handling daily struggles.
14:34•24 Aug 2026
The Right and Wrong Way to Handle Temptation and Addiction
Episode Overview
- Living "according to the flesh" is described as a life of ongoing frustration and death, rather than a threat aimed at believers.
- Putting to death the deeds of the body is done by faith, not by trying to kill human nature or relying only on self-help techniques.
- Guilt, shame, and fear are described as the real power behind addictive behaviours, losing their grip when judgement is seen as already taken by Christ.
- Legalism and rule-keeping are said to create anxiety and instability, whereas trusting grace allows honest struggle without fear of rejection.
- Seeing oneself as a son or daughter of God is presented as central to saying no to temptation and continuing in recovery, even after failure.
“Legalism will drive you nuts. It will lead you to tremendous anxiety and constant worry that you can't pull it off and you cannot conquer.”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This episode of *How it Happens with Colin Cook* takes on that question through a close look at Romans 8:13–14 and the daily struggle with temptation and addiction. Colin speaks candidly about his own journey from legalism to grace, recalling a time when his relationship with God felt "up and down" and ruled by fear of punishment.
He stresses that Paul’s warning, "if you live according to the flesh, you will die," isn’t a threat hanging over believers, but a description of life without Christ. Human life without Jesus, he says, is "nothing but death," including all those "mini-deaths" of frustration, failure, and disappointment. You’ll hear how this teaching connects directly to addictions such as alcohol, drugs, food, sex, and obsessive worry.
Colin points out that simply removing temptations—locking away alcohol, blocking pornography, throwing out junk food—may be sensible, but it’s not the same as putting "to death the deeds of the body by faith." Instead, he explains that Christian faith starts by declaring that your human, sinful nature "has no authority over [you] to condemn" because Christ has already taken that judgement.
With practical examples like his teenage method for quitting smoking, Colin contrasts human techniques with a faith-based approach, where you can say no to destructive habits because the guilt and shame behind them have lost their power. Change may come slowly, but he insists that "legalism will drive you nuts" and that true progress happens by trusting that there is "now no judgment" against those who believe in Jesus.
For anyone wrestling with addiction and tired of anxiety, fear, and self-condemnation, this episode offers a faith-focused way of handling temptation that centres on identity as "sons and daughters of God." Could a different view of guilt and grace be the key to your next step in recovery?
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