The phrase is from Luke 4:4 in "The Message" translation. Bread is a metaphor for material and physical needs. It seems contradictory to say that we need bread to live while saying it takes more than bread to live. Life is more than having our material needs met. That may seem obvious but we live as though our lives are completely dependent on physical material and emotional needs being met.
This may be partly due to our being human but it is also a factor of our having an enemy who hates us and plays on our hunger as he did on Jesus'. Jesus demonstrated and scripture teaches us to claim the truth of the word and resist the devil and cause him to leave us.
The hard part is recognizing when the enemy is outside or inside. Are my neurotic thoughts coming from me or my enemy? If my heart is good, and it is because God promised to replace my heart of stone with a heart of flesh, then I must conclude it is my enemy accusing and playing on my hunger.
So how do I reconcile the activities of my enemy playing on my hunger with Jesus' words, "It takes more than bread (physical, material, emotional satisfaction) to really live"? I trust Jesus words - real life is not found in peace, prosperity or security.
That is always so hard to determine. The same goes for when we feel God "leading" us some where. Especially when its things that are not immediately evident in scripture. Thankfully, we have a community of believers to help us through our neuroses, eh?
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