Imagine walking out into a big, hot, rocky desert. There are no houses, no grocery stores, and no refrigerator. Jesus went out into this wild place called the wilderness, and He stayed there for 40 days and 40 nights without eating any food!

By the end of those 40 days, Jesus was super hungry and very tired.

Then, the enemy—the devil—came to try and trick Jesus into doing the wrong thing. The devil threw three big tests at Him:

1. The Bread Test: Jesus was starving. The devil pointed to some round rocks on the ground that looked like loaves of bread and said, “If you are God’s Son, turn these stones into bread!”
2. The High Jump Test: The devil took Jesus to the very top of a tall temple and said, “Jump down! God will send His angels to catch you so you don’t get hurt.”
3. The Shortcut Test: The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms and shiny treasures of the whole world and said, “I will give all of this to you if you just bow down and worship me.”

How Jesus Fought Back with God’s Word

Did Jesus use superpowers or throw a punch? No! Every single time the devil tried to trick Him, Jesus spoke a truth straight out of the Bible (from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy):

• When the devil wanted Him to make bread, Jesus said: “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Meaning: Loving and obeying God is even more important than food!)
• When the devil wanted Him to jump off the temple, Jesus said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Meaning: We trust God, we don’t try to trick Him into performing stunts.)
• When the devil offered Him fake power, Jesus said: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” (Meaning: God is number one, and nothing else comes close.)

Here are the exact three Old Testament verses from the book of Deuteronomy that Jesus quoted when He was tempted in the wilderness (recorded in Matthew 4:1–11):

1. First Temptation: Turning Stones into Bread

• The Verse Quoted: Deuteronomy 8:3
• What Jesus Said: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4, NIV)
• Food keeps our bodies alive, but listening to God keeps our hearts alive.

2. Second Temptation: Jumping Off the Temple

• The Verse Quoted: Deuteronomy 6:16
• What Jesus Said: “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7, NIV)
• We don’t do dangerous stunts just to make God prove He loves us.

3. Third Temptation: Worshiping the Devil for Power

• The Verse Quoted: Deuteronomy 6:13
• What Jesus Said: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10, NIV)
• God is the only one who deserves our worship and loyalty.

Because Jesus knew God’s word by heart and believed it, the devil gave up and left Him alone.

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Why Knowing God’s Word is a Superpower for You

Think of God’s Word (the Bible) like an invisible shield or a flashlight in a dark room:

• It tells you the truth when someone lies: Sometimes kids (or even tricks in our own head) try to tell us that cheating, being mean, or lying doesn’t matter. Knowing the Bible is like having a truth-detector that says, “Nope, that’s a lie. Here is what is right.”
• It gives you strength when you are weak or scared: When you feel worried or tempted to lose your temper, remembering a verse like “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” gives your heart courage.
• It helps you make good choices: Just like Jesus didn’t fall for the devil’s shortcuts, knowing what God says helps you pick kindness, honesty, and love every single day.

Part 1: The Story in the Desert

1. Jesus went out into the hot, rocky ______________ and stayed there for ______________ days and nights without eating any food.
2. When Jesus was super hungry and tired, the ______________ came to try and trick Him into doing the wrong thing.
3. For the first test, the devil told Jesus to turn ______________ into bread.
4. For the second test, the devil took Jesus to the top of a tall temple and told Him to ______________ down.
5. For the third test, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down and worship him.

Part 2: The Verses Jesus Quoted

6. First Temptation (Matthew 4:4): “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on ______________ alone, but on every ______________ that comes from the ______________ of God.’”
7. Second Temptation (Matthew 4:7): “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the ______________.’”
8. Third Temptation (Matthew 4:10): “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘______________ the Lord your God, and ______________ him only.’”

Part 3: Why Knowing God’s Word is a Superpower

9. Knowing the Bible is like carrying an invisible ______________ to protect you or a ______________ to help you see in the dark.
10. When someone tries to trick you into lying or being mean, God’s Word acts like a detector that tells you the ______________.

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