Three times, Matthew describes Satan’s attempts to place a stumbling block in front of Jesus by tempting him to short circuit his purpose in coming to earth. And three times, Jesus refuses to fall. The first temptation is centered on bread.

Jesus has been fasting for forty days. He has disappeared into the wilderness to spend time with the Father in preparation for the coming three years of ministry. Forty days without food is a long time.

And right there, in the weakness that comes with extreme hunger, Satan attacks. He always attacks at our weakest moments, and in our weakest areas. He comes, and he suggests to Jesus that force would be a better option to save the world, leaving any free will in the matter out of the equation. However, Jesus knew that the only way to achieve salvation would come through the individual’s decision to choose for himself! Only the change of a person’s heart could accomplish this mission. Force could never be effective.

But Satan tries anyway.

The first temptation Matthew describes is one that challenges Jesus’ faith, and strikes at the weakness brought about by his hunger. Satan says, “If You are the Son of God…” God had already said that Jesus was His Son (Matthew 3:17), that question has already been settled. Yet the little word “if” provides a seed of doubt about God’s goodness. The goal of this first temptation is distrust. It’s designed to cast doubt into the mind of Jesus.

The method Satan uses is one that appeals to Christ’s appetite. This is still a strategy he uses today. He appeals to our appetites, and strives to trip us up in those. Here, he suggests that if Jesus is the Son of God, then he would be able to turn stones into bread. And of course he could; later on, he would multiply bread enough to feed the 5000, and more.

But if Jesus had used his power here to escape the discomfort of hunger, and the suffering that comes with it, then he could not be described as one who suffered and was tempted in all the ways that we are (Hebrews 4:15). He would have failed to set the example. None of us would be able to escape such a temptation as that, and so Jesus chooses to stay with us in the face of such a temptation. After all, he came to save us, and not himself.

So he responds to Satan with Scripture. He quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus knew that God would feed him. He had done so for the nation of Israel during their time in the wilderness by providing manna (Exodus 16). But what Jesus knew is that physical food is not the true source of life. God is the true source, and only through him do we have life. Jesus would later use this truth to declare that he is the Bread of Life, and is the true source of our nourishment (John 6:47-58).

It’s striking to me that the Word Incarnate should use the Word written to refuse the devil’s temptations. It reinforces the fact that the written Word is worth hiding in our hearts. It reminds us that it will resurface in our minds when needed. And it helps to protect us against temptation and sin when it is hidden in our hearts. Psalm 119:11 states it well when the psalmist writes, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

Jesus had taken the time to commit Scripture to memory. He knew the Old Testament Scriptures well, had hidden them in his heart, and used them to resist the temptations of the enemy.

That makes a very solid case for the necessity of memorizing passages of God’s Word and hiding them in our own hearts. Because when the attacks come our way — and they will — we need to make sure we are ready to withstand them. That can only come through God’s help and strength. And those can come through a deep and intimate knowledge of his Word.

Question: How hard do you work at memorizing passages of Scripture? What could you do to grow in this habit? You can leave a comment by clicking here.