And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone . . . Matthew 4.3, 4.


"But"—The Lord’s answer is exactly opposite to Satan’s query. Satan takes one line, but the Lord adopts another line of thought to oppose him. "It is written" is one of His battle weapons. When temptation comes, resisting will not only help to hold ground but will also usually cause the devil to flee. But there are occasions when the situation appears to be a standoff; declaring the word of God at such times will surely make him flee. The word of God is the sword of the Holy Spirit. The battle will be won by wielding it. Yet it is essential to wield it with faith. God’s word is like the verdict of the Supreme Court.