The Parable of the Fly

4:27 a.m.

I'm sitting in my recliner sipping from my freshly made cup of coffee, when my lights go out turning my living room completely dark. The next noise I hear is not so pleasant. I have detected that there is an invader in the room. Obviously, he came in from the evening before and unknowing to me he spent the night. Sitting in the darkness of my home, all I hear is this uninvited guest humming, as he moves from chair to chair. It is as if the invader is trying to find the most comfortable place to sit, and is not being quiet about it at all!

Before you get too alarmed, the invader is only a fly. But I dislike these pestering insects! The fly is buzzing around in the room as if he owns the room. I hurriedly finished my cup of coffee, for fear of... well, you know. They always seem to find your coffee cup, if they are around.

About the time I finished my coffee I noticed that I no longer hear the buzzing sound of the fly. Hopefully the invader has left the room. Usually the fly doesn't stay in one place long. Maybe I am "fly free" for the rest of the day.

Wait! I hear that annoying sound of the fly again. He must be back in the room. If I sit very still here in the dark, maybe he won't notice that I am in the room. I turned and looked out my window to see the morning light beginning to peep up over the trees. I turned and looked at my laptop computer, and there he is - the invader! It is this huge fly that has landed on my computer screen. About that time he flew into my face, before landing back on the lighted computer screen.
 

I read this week of a 82 year-old man in France blowing up part of his house, and injuring himself, trying to kill a fly with an electric fly swatter (bug zapper). Unknowing to him he had a gas pocket from a leaking gas canister inside his home, causing the explosive reaction. (But this is not as bad as a man in California in 2018 trying to kill a large spider with a blow torch, and caused a house fire.) 

Flies this time of the year are annoying, but usually all it takes to get rid of them is a fast hand and a fly swatter (or something equivalent). Grabbing a magazine, rolling it up like my daddy once taught me, I swung. Got it! I quietly acclaimed. No more buzzing and no more pestering from this fly. I sit quietly in a dark room feeling good about my accomplishment." My enemy, the fly, has been defeated!

But then I was reminded that Satan is much like a fly. Just like the fly when I open the door of my home, when I open the door of my heart Satan will also invade. Just like the fly, Satan too has a restless spirit moving from place to place. The fly is only looking for a place to land, but Satan is looking for a place live. And just about the time that you think he has left you alone, he's back again (both, the fly and Satan).

While I turned this morning to the internet to find creative ways of keeping flies from coming into my house, I turn every morning to God's Word to find ways to keeping Satan out of my heart. This is what I found to help:

A Fly:  A fan over the door often will help prevent a fly from coming in your house.

Satan:  The Holy Spirit in your heart will prevent Satan from finding resident in your heart.

A Fly:  A freezer bag of water, hanging over the door, often discourages a fly from advancing. 

Satan:  The very name of Jesus, will discourage Satan from attacking.

A Fly: Keep a clean house.

Satan:  Keep a clean heart. 

Like the fly, he is often in the house before you know it. Satan also comes in and tries to make himself at home, in your house. Today, I encourage you to shoo flies, and resist Satan. Neither has no place in your home, nor in your heart.

Shoo fly (Satan), don't bother me... I belong to somebody (Jesus)!

 "Stand firm against him (Satan) and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are." (I Peter 5:9 NLT).