But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Jesus was in the wilderness, praying and fasting. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, He was tempted by satan who asked Him to turn the stones into loaves of bread. Jesus rejected because He was aware that the reason He came into this world was to do the will of God; food for Jesus was to fulfill God’s will and to complete His mission on earth.
Jesus was able to discern between the voice of God and satan’s and He was ready to reject satan’s advance because He wished to live according to the will of God. Having fasted for a long period, Jesus needed food because He was hungry. Satan then thought he would make Jesus an offer that He could not refuse. But Jesus declined to do what satan suggested even though He was in need for food, and readily answered satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Today, satan is using the same trick to exploit our crave for materialism and dangles the carrot in front of us. In perspective, there are things which are necessary for us to conduct our everyday life. That said, there is a difference between what are considered as “must have” and “good-to-have”. Many people have become too engrossed with satisfying their worldly desire till they neglect their spiritual life; which is just as important if not more than their physical life.
The spiritual life needs to be fed by God’s word. The desire of the spiritual life is to serve God. Satan is trying hard to make us focus on desire of the flesh till we have no time for personal devotion. As a result, we spend very little quiet time with the Lord. It is not surprising that many Christians have a weak faith and succumb to temptation. There is an ongoing spiritual life between God and satan and we need a discerning spirit not to fall into the trap of satan.
Jesus did not say we cannot pursue material comfort but He reminded us not to be complacent and forget about our spiritual development and be diligent in studying His word. If we have the world but lose our soul, what is that of good to us? Today, if we have not done so, let our focus be on the cross and seek Him in earnest. For those who seek His kingdom and righteousness, everything will be given unto them.