By Oladipo Oluwatosin
Food is essential for survival, but history proves it has also been the downfall of men, families, nations, and even the church. The stomach, a small sack that never increases in size has consumed the wealth of nations, stolen destinies, and reduced heroes to beggars. Appetite, when uncontrolled, becomes the devil’s oldest weapon of manipulation. As the saying goes, “A man’s belly can bury his crown.”
The Ancient Weapon
From the Garden of Eden, Satan understood the power of appetite. He didn’t tempt Eve with fire or weapons but with fruit. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat” (Genesis 3:6, KJV). That single act of eating altered the course of humanity.
Esau, weary from hunting, sold his birthright for a plate of stew. “And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34, KJV). Truly, “The downfall of a man begins with what he cannot say no to.”
Samson’s feasting in enemy territory led to betrayal and blindness. Eli’s sons defiled priestly sacrifices over roasted meat: “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:17, KJV). And during Herod’s banquet, a rash promise over a dance led to the beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:21–28).
Appetite dethrones kings. Appetite has always been a weapon.
The Rise of Stomach Infrastructure
In modern Nigeria, the term “stomach infrastructure” has become a sad metaphor for politics without vision. Politicians distribute rice, noodles, and salt to desperate citizens in exchange for votes. It is the living proof of the proverb: “He who brings kola brings life; but he who brings rice steals tomorrow.”
The sanctity of democracy suffers when ballots are replaced by bowls. Votes lose their power when destiny is traded for food that vanishes in a day. And Scripture warns: “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2, NIV).
Appetite in the Church and Society
The church is not exempt. Many pulpits now preach convenience, not conviction. Prophets exploit hunger, selling “miracle food,” “anointed oil,” and “prosperity water” to desperate members. Apostle Paul warned of such men: “For many walk… whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:18–19, KJV).
Across society, appetite reigns:
- Judges and Lawyers twist justice over banquets and bribes. Scripture cautions: “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise” (Deuteronomy 16:19, NKJV).
- Journalists sell headlines for “brown envelopes” that barely feed a day.
- Traditional Rulers endorse land grabbers after lavish feasts. “The king who eats from the thief’s pot cannot curse stealing.”
- Pastors manipulate congregations, feeding their own bellies instead of the flock. Ezekiel condemned such shepherds: “Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” (Ezekiel 34:2, KJV).
- Politicians enslave citizens with bags of rice, exchanging futures for a plate.
The sanctity of the church, the dignity of the courts, and the honor of the nation are eroded because of food.
Heroes Who Fell Because of Appetite
Many destinies were cut short because men failed to master their appetites:
- Adam and Eve lost Eden.
- Esau lost his inheritance.
- Samson lost his strength.
- Eli’s family lost the priesthood.
- Herod lost his moral compass.
And even today, many lose their integrity daily. As Proverbs 23:2 warns: “Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.”
Why the Devil Targets the Stomach
The stomach is unique. It never grows, yet it consumes endlessly. Satan knows hunger blinds judgment and weakens resistance. A proverb says: “The man whose belly rules him is never free.”
No wonder Jesus warned in John 6:27: “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.”
Across offices, palaces, pulpits, and parliaments, professionals act as agents of appetite—using food, money, and favors to lure men into bondage.
Breaking the Food Trap
Jesus resisted Satan’s food temptation with the words: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, KJV). This remains the only way to conquer appetite.
Breaking free requires:
1. Spiritual Discipline – Fasting teaches that man is more than what he eats.
2. Civic Responsibility – Citizens must reject politicians’ rice and demand true governance.
3. Professional Integrity – Judges, lawyers, journalists, and leaders must rise above food-bribes.
4. Sacred Ministry – Pastors must feed the flock, not their stomachs.
Conclusion: Beyond the Plate
The greatest infrastructure of destruction is not built with bricks, but with bowls. Nations collapse, churches lose power, and men fall—not because of weapons, but because of food.
As Paul once said: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17, KJV).
The stomach may never expand, but its appetite can consume kingdoms. Until men learn to master their appetites, appetites will continue to master them. And as history warns, appetite dethrones kings.
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