Jesus was telling his disciples, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People need to depend on the physical needs for the body; they must feed on every word of God.

John prepared the way for the Messiah's appearance, and preached baptism as a sign of repentance (Matthew 3:1-12). The Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness, where He overcame temptation and demonstrated His commitment to God (Matth.4:1-11). Thus prepared, Jesus began to preach (Matth.4:12-17), called His first disciples (Matth.4:18-22), and demonstrated His God-given authority by miracles of healing (Matth.4:23-25).

The Temptation of Jesus--Mark 1:12-13; - Luke 4:1-13 Satan tempts Jesus in the desert (Luke 4:1-11)

"Deutoronomy. 8:3" - He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

"John 6:63" - The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

"Ephesians. 6:17" - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

"Romans 12:2" - And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

"Philipians 2:5" - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

"Romans 10:17" - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

"Acts 20:32" - And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

"2 Peter 1:4" - Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

"John 17:17" - Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

"2 Corinthians 3:18" - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?

"The Bible tells of only two spiritual controversies here, the spirit of the World and the spirit of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2:12, Romans 8:9) The temptation which led to man's fall, and the salvation which led to Satan's failure and defeat. All other controversies in human history have to do with these two spiritual battles. Either we are slaves to sin or we are free in Christ. Either the spirit in me is unrighteous--in which case I fall,(Romans 6:16) Or that I have Christ in me --in which case Satan is bound to fall."(Romans 16:20)

Jesus went into the wilderness to be alone. His task had come to him; God had spoken to him; he must think how he was to attempt the task which God had given him to do; he had to get things straightened out before he started; and he had to be alone. It may well be that we often go wrong simply because we never try to be alone. There are certain things which a man has to work out alone. There are times when no one else's advice is any good to him. There are times when a man has to stop acting and start thinking. It may be that we make many a mistake because we do not give ourselves a chance to be alone with God.

Jesus' response to all three temptations was to quote the Word of God, showing His followers the power of Scripture in battling the Evil One.

Jesus was hungry and weak after fasting for 40 days, but he chose not to use his divine power to satisfy his natural desire for food. Food, hunger, and eating are good, but the timing was wrong. Jesus was in the desert to fast, not to eat. And because Jesus had given up the unlimited, independent use of his divine power in order to experience humanity fully (Philippians 2:5-8), he wouldn't use his power to change the stones to bread. We also may be tempted to satisfy a perfectly normal desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time. If we indulge in sex before marriage or if we steal to get food, we are trying to satisfy God-given desires in wrong ways.

Jesus quoted this verse when the devil tempted him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:4). Many people think that life is based on satisfying their appetites. If they can earn enough money to dress, eat, and play in high style, they think they are living "the good life"(Mark 4:19). But such things do not satisfy our deepest longings. In the end they leave us empty and dissatisfied (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). Real life comes from total commitment to God, the one who created life itself (Revelation 10:6).

Jesus was able to resist all of the devil's temptations because he not only knew Scripture, but he also obeyed it. "Ephesians. 6:17" says that God's Word is a sword to use in spiritual combat. Knowing Bible verses is an important step in helping us resist the devil's attacks, but we must also obey the Bible (James 1:22). Note that Satan had memorized Scripture, but he failed to obey it. Knowing and obeying the Bible helps us follow God's desires rather than the devil's.

Jesus had fasted 40 days and "was hungry" when Satan approached our LORD and challenged Him to turn stones into bread. After all, as Satan suggested, that would be a minor miracle for the Son of God to perform!

Jesus answered by quoting a passage in Deuteronomy: "Man does not live on bread alone." Perhaps the most important word here is "man." Think about it. Jesus did not respond to temptation by calling on His resources as Son of God, but instead met each one as "man." If Christ had met temptation by drawing on His deity, there would be no help for us in His example. But since Jesus met temptation as a man, using no more resources than are available to any human being (1 Corinthians 10:13), you and I have hope! We too can overcome our temptations. We can follow Jesus' example, draw on the resources He used, and triumph!

This first temptation was directed against Jesus' physical nature. Christ quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, which calls on man to live by the Word of God. The point of Christ's response is this: human beings are physical creatures. But we are more than animals. We have a spiritual nature that is to control the physical. God's will, not our physical needs or desires, is to govern our choices. Today many people argue that if you want something, take it. Because we are more than animals, it is not "natural" for man to be driven by physical hungers. We are spiritual beings, and what is right and natural for us is to be driven by the living Word of our God.

God's Manual for Life, the Bible, is our manual for getting our lives under way. However, we must never become so bound to the book that we forget the Author of it and the relationship He desires to have with us on the voyage. The Bible is a living, breathing book. Let God speak to you through its pages. Let it transform your thinking and your way of life.(Hebrews 4:12)
Don't just read your Bible, but also have an encounter with the Living God, through the knowledge of his Son Jesus Christ. ( John 1:18)

I memorized the Bible verse. I quoted it to myself over and over again. I thought it surely would give me victory over the particular temptation that had me so defeated. But quote as much as I would, no victory came. I was just as vulnerable with my Bible verse as without it.

I suspect many of us have had this experience. We see Jesus recalling verses from the Old Testament and quoting them to Satan. Jesus was victorious. Why aren't we when we do the same thing? The answer lies in the distinction between magic and faith. Magic is using an object or chant in a desperate attempt to ward off evil or control circumstances (Exodus 8:18). Faith is "the confidence" that what God says is true enough to act on (Romans 3:16-25).

I had been using my Bible verse as a magic talisman, waving it desperately to repel temptation. But when we look at Matthew 4, we see that Jesus used Scripture in quite another way. He went into the Word, found a principle or truth, and said in effect, "I will now live by this truth." Jesus saw the Word of God as truth (John 17:17), and determined to act on that truth. It was this exercise of faith that gave Him victory over His temptations. And it is just such an exercise of faith that will give us victory when we are tempted today. Yes, let's look for the key to our victory in the Word of God. But let's not use the Bible in a pagan, magical way. Let's take God at His Word, act on what He says, and let God use our faith to give us the victory in Christ (John 16:33).

It is faith that brings victory over the world (1 John 5:4), and faith is developed through a study of the Scriptures (Rom. 10:17).

As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by the word of God.... We should carefully study the Bible, asking God for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that we may understand His word (Matthew 21:22). We should take one verse, and concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought which God has put in that verse for us. We should dwell upon the thought until it becomes our own, and we know "what saith the Lord."... The word of God, received into the soul, moulds the thoughts, and enters into the development of character (1 john 2:14).... The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter (John 16:7). By the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the disciple; he becomes a new creature. Love takes the place of hatred (Romans 13:10), and the heart receives the divine similitude (Romans 8:29). This is what it means to live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." This is eating the Bread that comes down from heaven (John 6:35).