Man shall not live by bread alone

We Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. – Matthew 4.1-4

Pretty early on in Jesus’ ministry He went into the desert to fast and pray. That alone sets down an example that is worth our consideration, but I am going to move on a bit today.

After 40 days Satan was permitted to come and test Jesus. Satan took Jesus up on a mountain and said ‘if you are the Son of God speak to these stones and turn them into bread.

Jesus’ response sets a pattern for the other tests to come and a pattern for how we should deal with our own tests. Jesus said ‘man doesn’t live by his physical needs only.’

Everything in our lives is a battle between the flesh and the spirit. They war against each other. Our desire for ‘bread’ and anything else physical is constantly screaming out to us.

Jesus refuted Satan’s temptation by pointing out that there is more to life than just bread. There is the word of God that truly gives life. We ought to desire the word of God more than any physical desire. As long as physical things control us we will never obey the word of God. If we seek God and His righteousness, on the other hand, everything other need will be met.