Weekly Reflection

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin."

We often confuse temptation with sin. The battle comes when temptation invites us into disobedience, and if we allow its influence to dictate our decision, it leads to sin.

If Satan came after Jesus, the Son of God, how much more will he come after humanity? The real question becomes: How did Jesus resist the enemy?

Jesus demonstrated throughout his ministry that he resisted Satan through obedience, surrender, prayer, and the Word of God, which was his recipe for victory against Satan’s schemes.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Have you ever thought about Jesus as a disciple?

Yes, He is Lord, Savior, Messiah, and Son of God, but during His earthly ministry, Jesus also modeled complete submission to the Father.  His life until death was a testament to what he told his disciples in Matthew 16:24.

John 5:19 says:

"The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing…"

Jesus did not move independently from the Father’s will.

John 5:30 says:

"I seek not to please myself but him who sent me."

My friend, Jesus, never asks us to do something He Himself refused to do.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

My friends, have you ever experienced a moment in your Christian journey when the Holy Spirit revealed that your understanding of God was wrong? Every season of my walk with Jesus has humbled me and reminded me of the truth found in Isaiah 55:8–9:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God continually reminds me that His wisdom, judgments, and understanding are far beyond human reasoning. Often, what God commands or allows may seem painful, unfair, or difficult to understand through human logic, but His perspective is eternal and perfect.

One day, while battling a flood of lies and intrusive thoughts in my mind, I became frustrated with God. I knew those thoughts were not from Him because they contradicted His Word, yet I found myself accusing God and questioning why He would allow Satan access to my mind. During prayer, the Lord brought me back to a Bible study I had once completed called Battle of the Mind. As I reflected on it, something suddenly became clear to me: Satan does not have power over my mind.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.”

My friends, have you ever meditated on how God led Jesus to victory over Satan’s schemes? As I continue learning what it truly means to believe in Jesus daily, God revealed to me a profound yet simple truth that reflects a surrendered life to His will: obedience.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus repeatedly demonstrated and declared that He came to do the will of the Father who sent Him. His life was marked by surrender, humility, and obedience.

The word obedience sounds simple, yet in today’s complex world, it is often portrayed as evil, controlling, or condescending. But there is freedom and peace in obedience when you can trust the One you obey, knowing He has your best interests in mind.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."

Victory Before the Battle: How Jesus Was Prepared

My friends, as I have shared in this ministry, temptation itself is not sin. What we do when we are tempted is what matters. If Jesus, the Son of God, was tempted, how much more will the enemy come after humanity?

So the question becomes: how did Jesus prepare for the battle against the enemy?

We know that Jesus’ ministry did not begin until He was about 30 years old. This means He lived life as you and I do. He had parents, siblings, and a community. He learned a trade and worked as a carpenter. Jesus was not hidden away in isolation until His calling—He was living life.

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Pause for a moment. Let that sink in.

Powerless.
Ungodly.
Sinners.

That is where His love met us.

Not when we had it together.
Not when we were righteous.
Not when we were worthy.