Jesus responded by quoting Scripture: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was genuinely hungry, and Satan pressed Him to use His power to turn stones into bread. Rather than satisfying the flesh, Jesus went to the written Word and answered the temptation directly. Les Feldick emphasizes that this response reveals that spiritual priorities must temper physical appetites.
Matthew 4:4 — This verse records Jesus' direct, word-for-word answer to Satan's challenge to turn stones into bread.
In Matthew 4:1-2, Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. The tempter came to Him and said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" (Matthew 4:3). Verse 4 records Jesus' answer: "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." The scriptural response is a direct quotation from the written Word of God.
Les Feldick points out that Jesus, while totally God, was also totally man, and from His human side He was genuinely hungry after the forty-day fast. Satan knew exactly where Jesus was weak and aimed the temptation at His physical appetite, even using the word "if" to plant doubt about whether He was the Son of God. According to Les, had Jesus given in to Satan, He would have lost everything He needed to accomplish for our salvation. Instead, Jesus answered with Scripture, and Les stresses that this is the lesson for believers: the only way to defeat Satan is with the Word of God. Believers need to be saturated with the Word daily because no one can live by material, physical things alone; spiritual priorities must come first.
When the tempter offered to have Jesus turn stones into bread, Jesus answered, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Les notes that Jesus went to the Book — the Word of God — rather than yielding to His hunger.
Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights, and the Gospel records that He was afterward hungered (Matthew 4:2). The devil came to Him and said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" (Matthew 4:3). Les explains that Satan hits where people are weak; here he targeted Jesus' physical appetite for food, knowing that the thought of bread would stir His hunger.
Les teaches that the only way to defeat Satan is with the Word of God. Believers are to be saturated with the Word every day, because a person cannot live by material, physical things alone. When Satan attacks, the response is to go to the Book for strength. He also stresses keeping priorities straight so that spiritual things temper physical appetites.
Les says Jesus was totally human on one hand and totally God on the other. From His human side, He was truly hungry after fasting, and from His divine side He could have spoken the word and made bread. But had He given in to Satan, He would have lost everything that He had to accomplish for our salvation. He answered instead by quoting the Father's Word.
Led Into the Wilderness
In this clip Les sets the scene: Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, fasted forty days, and afterward was hungry — a real physical condition Satan would exploit.
Jesus' Answer From the Word
Les shows that Jesus responded to Satan's offer of bread by quoting Scripture, and he makes the lesson clear: the only way to defeat Satan is with the Word of God.
The Hunger That Set Up the Test
Les highlights that after the forty-day fast, Satan chose the perfect moment to ask Jesus to turn stones into bread, appealing to His genuine hunger.
Not by Bread Alone
In this clip Les details the words of Matthew 4:4 and applies them: physical appetites must be tempered by spiritual priorities.
Spiritual Nourishment Daily
Les says believers cannot live on material things alone; they must find time to feed on the Word every day, and he also notes Satan moved on to the next temptation.
Totally Man, Totally God
Les teaches that Jesus was fully human and fully God, that He was genuinely hungry, and that Satan used the word 'if' to plant doubt and attack His weakness.
The Spirit-Led Test
Les reviews Matthew 4:1-2, explaining that Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted and was 'hungered' after the fast.
Defending With the Book
While discussing the third temptation, Les draws a general lesson that when Satan attacks, believers must go to the Book, the Word of God, for strength.
Matthew 4:2: And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Shows Jesus was genuinely hungry after the fast, which is why Satan tempted Him with bread.
Matthew 4:3: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Records Satan's exact challenge to Jesus to turn stones into bread.
Matthew 4:4: 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.
The KJV text of Jesus' direct answer to the temptation.
Jesus answered, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). He quoted Scripture rather than yielding to His hunger.
Yes. Matthew 4:2 says He fasted forty days and forty nights and was afterward 'an hungred.' Les Feldick emphasizes that from His human side Jesus was genuinely hungry, even though He was also fully God.
Satan said, "If thou be the Son of God" (Matthew 4:3). Les points out that this was an attempt to plant doubt in the mind of the Lord Jesus about who He was.
Les teaches that the only way to defeat Satan is with the Word of God. Believers should be saturated with the Word daily and keep spiritual priorities above physical appetites.
Watch the Teaching: Jesus' Three Temptations — Why Satan's Attacks Still Matter Today