Man Shall Not Live on Bread Alone

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone

Luke 4:4

Over the next couple of days, we will be considering the temptations of Jesus. For starters though, it is important to first understand the context and how the devil first set the stage in order for these temptations to be effective. 

In chapter 3 of Luke, during Jesus’ baptism, his identity was affirmed by God himself when he said “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22. Moving on from there, Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted. This wilderness was not a wilderness of sand. It was covered by little bits of limestone exactly like loaves. By this, we also see how temptation often works. Often, this is the pattern of temptation: Satan appealed to a legitimate desire within Jesus (the desire to eat and survive); then he suggested that Jesus fulfil this legitimate desire in an illegitimate way.

In summary, Satan looked at a man who had fasted (stayed without food) for forty days and was obviously hungry and directed his attention to stones shaped like bread in a wilderness where there was no option. Knowing that the father had earlier pronounced him as his son, the devil put all these variables together and said to Jesus “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Luke 3:3. Clearly, this temptation was forged in the furnace of details, it’s really hard to escape under this circumstance but Jesus did. How?

Jesus countered Satan’s suggestion with the scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3). What Satan said made sense – “Why starve yourself to death?” But what is written makes even more sense. Jesus reminded Satan of Biblical truth, that every word of God is more important than the very bread we eat. What Satan said to Jesus is what Satan is saying to us today ‘If you are truly a child of God, how can you be going through what you are going through? If God is not forthcoming maybe it’s because he has left the decision in your hands’ It is the temptation to get for yourself what the Lord in his infinite wisdom has not given you even though He knows that you have need for it. 

In the same way that Jesus did, we must resist the devil’s temptations today. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we answer Satan’s seductive lies by shining the light of God’s truth upon them. If we are ignorant of God’s truth, we are poorly armed in the fight against temptation. Jesus was hungry, but he was full of the Spirit. We are sometimes just the opposite – full stomachs and empty spirits. We must learn the way of Jesus.

We need to anticipate the devil’s temptations and prepare daily by filling up our spiritual tank with God’s word. In the place of prayer we must ensure that we are full of God to overflowing. This way when the devil comes knocking, we will knock him down in no time. 

PRAYER