20 Bible Verses about Spiritual Malnutrition

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

"Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.

He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."

for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day.

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths.

Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us."