Luke 4:8 records Jesus rejecting the devil’s offer of worldly power by quoting Scripture and insisting that worship belongs to God alone. Jesus speaks these words to Satan in the wilderness, after the devil has offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he will bow down before him. The verse is Jesus’ direct, final reply in the temptation scene that Luke places right after his baptism.
Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
Luke 4:8 (WEB)
What Luke 4:8 Means
The verse opens with Jesus telling the devil to get behind him. This is a command of dismissal, not a debate. Jesus does not argue about whether the kingdoms are really the devil’s to give, and he does not bargain. He simply refuses and sends the tempter away, which shows that the offer itself was never a legitimate option for him.
Then Jesus says, “For it is written,” which means he answers from the Hebrew Scriptures rather than from his own authority. The quotation comes from Deuteronomy 6:13, where Israel is told to fear the Lord and serve him and swear by his name. Jesus treats that command as settled truth that governs his choices, including this one.
The verse makes a clear claim: worship and service belong to God alone. It does not promise that faithful people will never face hard choices, nor does it say that God will rescue everyone from temptation on demand. What it shows is the shape of the answer. When power or comfort is offered in exchange for loyalty, the answer is to keep worship where it belongs.
The Context of Luke 4:8
Luke wrote this Gospel for a largely Gentile audience, and he presents Jesus as the Son of God who is also the fulfillment of Israel’s story. Luke traditionally attributed to the physician and companion of Paul, and his account gives careful attention to Jesus’ prayer, his compassion for the poor, and his steady obedience to the Father. The temptation scene follows Jesus’ baptism, where the Father declares him beloved, and the Spirit leads him into the wilderness.
Just before the verse, the devil shows Jesus the kingdoms in a moment and offers them in return for worship. Just after it, the devil quotes Psalm 91 and urges Jesus to throw himself from the temple, so Jesus’ answer here sets the pattern for the rest of the encounter. Read in that setting, the verse is not a random quotation but the first of three answers from Scripture, each one holding firm against a different kind of pressure.
Key Phrases in Luke 4:8
Deuteronomy 6:13
You shall fear the LORD your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
(WEB)
This is the Old Testament command that Jesus quotes in Luke 4:8. Reading the original context helps you see that the call to fear the Lord and serve him alone was given to Israel as the foundation of their life together.
Matthew 4:10
Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
(WEB)
Matthew records the same temptation and the same reply, showing that the early church remembered this moment as central. Comparing the two accounts helps you see the shared core of Jesus’ answer.
A Short Prayer From Luke 4:8
Lord, you are the only one worthy of my worship and my service. When other voices offer me comfort, power, or approval in exchange for my loyalty, help me to recognize them for what they are. Teach me to answer temptation as Jesus did, by returning to your word and standing firm in your truth. Let my heart stay fixed on you each day, so that everything I do flows from devotion to you alone. Amen.
