Matthew 4:4 - Living God's Word brings Power and Victory!

Mat.4:4; Living God's Word brings Power and Victory!

Mat 4:4 (KJV)  Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Having fasted for forty days and nights, Jesus' human body must
have been crying out for food, so Satan's first attack came on the
physical level.... Next, Satan tested Jesus' mental stability, misquoting
Scripture in an attempt to trip Him up with pride:.. Satan pulled out one
last trick. He tried to convince Jesus to trade His spiritual
well-being for the power and glory of this world. [Passages Of Life SB]

Satan suggested He be (1) a bread Messiah, gaining followers by
miraculously meeting physical needs, (2) a spectacular Messiah, gaining
followers through displaying miraculous powers, or (3) a compromising
Messiah, joining forces with the evil one to accomplish heavenly
purposes. Jesus refused each time to follow Satan's ways to accomplish
God's will. [Disciple SB]

Now here is a great and uplifting truth. What we call temptation
is not meant to make us sin; it is meant to enable us to conquer
sin. It is not meant to make us bad, it is meant to make us good. It
is not meant to weaken us, it is meant to make us emerge stronger
and finer and purer from the ordeal. [Barclay Commentary]

As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life
is sustained by the word of God.... The word of God, received into
the soul, moulds the thoughts, and enters into the development of
character.... The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new
life in Christ Jesus.... 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, and the heart receives the divine
similitude. 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.  DA390,1

The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in
the word of God. This word imparts power; it begets life. Every
command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it
brings with it the life of the Infinite One. It transforms the nature
and re-creates the soul in the image of God.  ED126

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).
[SDA Commentary]

Jesus was able to resist all of the devil's temptations because
he not only knew Scripture, but he also obeyed it. Ephes. 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. 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. [Life Application SB]

We defeat temptation by understanding and acting on the Word of
God. [Victor Bible Reader's Companion]

Find victory by following Christ's example and living the Word
of God. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]

What He did in fact was to draw from each passage a
principle--and choose to act on that principle. Thus we are reminded that the
freeing power of God's Word is not released simply by our knowing it,
but only by our applying it. [Victor Bible Background Commentary]

    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.
If you feel an urge for sex, satisfy it. After all, it's "natural."
Yes, it's natural for animals to satisfy their desires. But 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. [The
365-Day Devotional Commentary]

    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. Faith is a quiet confidence that what
God says is true enough to act on. 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, 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 Him. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]

    Leonard E. LeSourd has written about his late wife,
Catherine Marshall, the author of Christy: "Bibles were scattered
throughout our house...all editions, plus reference books and concordances.
We often went to bed, turned out the light, and listened to a
chapter of scripture on tape. If she could have found a way to spread
Bible passages on a slice of bread, Catherine would have devoured it
    "When upset or under spiritual assault or in physical pain,
Catherine would go to her office, kneel by her chair, and open her
Bible.... She would read, then pray, then read, then pray some more. She
liked to pray with the Bible clutched in her hands.... She would rest
her case on its promises. Catherine didn't read the Bible for solace
or inspiration, but to have an encounter with the Lord.... I think
these were the most intense moments of her life.... Catherine's
passion for the Word permeated her whole life. It under-girded her
writing. It formed a base for us as a married team in the making of
family decisions. It provided substance to her counseling of people
through the mail. I'm convinced it was also the basis for her inner
vitality, her charisma, and the mantle of authority she wore with some
reluctance."
    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.
Like Catherine Marshall, don't just read your Bible, have an
encounter with the Living God. [God's Little Devotional Bible]

    A young ensign had nearly completed his first tour of sea
duty when he was given an opportunity to display his ability at
getting the ship under way. With a stream of crisp commands, he had the
decks buzzing with men and soon, the ship had left port and was
steaming out of the channel.
    The ensign's efficiency was remarkable. In fact, the deck
was abuzz with talk that he had set a new record for getting a
destroyer under way. The ensign glowed at his accomplishment and was not
all that surprised when another seaman approached him with a message
from the captain. He was, however, a bit surprised to find that it
was a radio message, and he was even more surprised when he read,
"My personal congratulations upon completing your underway
preparation exercise according to the book and with amazing speed. In your
haste, however, you have overlooked one of the unwritten rules--make
sure the captain is aboard before getting under way."
    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. [God's Little Devotional Bible]

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. [Barclay Commentary]

He who sets out to live by and for "bread" alone does not really
live at all, and at best is doomed to die, for "bread" without God
brings death and not life. [SDA Commentary]

As in our great abundance we must not think to live without God,
so in our greatest straits we must learn to live upon God; and when
the fig-tree does not blossom, and the field yields no meat, when
all ordinary means of succour and support are cut off, yet then we
must rejoice in the Lord; then we must not think to command what we
will, though contrary to his command, but must humbly pray for what he
thinks fit to give us, and be thankful for the bread of our allowance,
though it be a short allowance. Let us learn of Christ here to be at
God's finding, rather than at our own; and not to take any irregular
courses for our supply, when our wants are ever so pressing .
Jehovah-jireh; some way or other the Lord will provide. It is better to live
poorly upon the fruits of God's goodness, than live plentifully upon
the products of our own sin. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)

Jesus affirmed that death within the orbit of God's will is
preferable to life apart from it. [SDA Commentary]