You know, when you have livestock around, and in our case, horses…….they seem to have an uncanny knack of attracting flies in the summertime. In fact, there are certain days in the summer when the flies are so bad, they’re not considered a nuisance….it actually turns into a full-fledged war between man and beast on one side and the flies on the other.

Flies are not the most attractive thing in the world and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that thinks too highly of them. I’ve never seen them in a pet store waiting to be put on a leash and taken home to be cared for and loved for their adorableness. In fact, I think that about the only things I know of that like flies are frogs, toads and venus-flytraps. And they can have my share !

Why all this talk about flies? Because, one day as I was in the barn and being pestered by flies, it dawned on me that flies are like the taunts of evil. Having their “druthers”, I don’t think there are very many people who really want much to do with flies. I don’t think they want much to do with evil either, but like the flies, evil is a nuisance and it just keeps coming at you and bothering you.

You’d rather not have it but just as soon as you let your guard down, there it is, buzzing in your face or ear or whatever. Unless you chase it away, it just keeps pestering and tormenting you and making you angry and upset and ruining your otherwise nice day.

Most of us keep waving our arms or “shooing” the flies away. The horses even have special muscles that twitch and chase the flies away. They also have tails they can “swish”…although whenever I’m around, I think I get “swished” more than the flies. Maybe that’s why the motorcycles appeal to me more, eh? Regardless, we and the horses, the dogs, the cats, etc. are all bothered by the flies and we keep chasing them away.

When we’ve finally had enough and can’t stand it anymore, we get our the flyswatters and smack the flies dead while at the same time saying: “there, I’ve had enough…take that!”

Our lives are like this barnyard story. We are constantly pestered by evil. And like the flies, evil seems to always buzz in your face when you’ve got both hands loaded and can’t fight back. It never fights a fair fight and we “shoo” the evil away….but it keeps coming back over and over again.

It’s like being in the middle of something good and having an unkind thought. Maybe as a kid, there was somebody’s hair to pull or a malicious trick to play on someone else. When we got older, it might be something like shortchanging someone and keeping the extra for ourselves. Maybe it was telling lies about someone or maybe it even escalated into robbery or other hateful crimes.

Whatever the case, large or small, it’s like flies buzzing around and tormenting. Sometimes we give up and let the flies land on us and sometimes we “shoo” them away. And sometimes……when we’ve had all we can stand, we go get the flyswatter and fight back.

When you’re looking for a flyswatter for evil, all you have to do is look to God’s Word.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6: 10, 11

The Word of God is your sword and your faith in Him is your shield. These things will enable you to “swat” the dickens out of evil and just like the fly, it is powerless against you.

You know, I remember hearing or reading one time that another name for the devil is Beelzebul (Ba’al Zebub) and that this name, in translation, means: “Lord of the flies.” It’s kind of ironic isn’t it? But then, if flies are so disliked throughout the world, who else would want to be associated with them? And, who else would ever want to be lord over something that causes torment and pain? I think I’ll stick with God’s way.

(additional)

Did you ever notice how in our area of the country, as the weather gets cooler in the fall and then cold in the winter, that the flies continue to lose their vigor and tenacity until they go into a condition of dormancy where they don’t even move until the warm weather comes in the spring? As strong and consistent as the flies are in pestering us in the summer months, there is a time when they lose their power to bother us and are harmless.

Life is kinda like that from the standpoint that in this physical life on earth, we have to put up with evil and fight back against it. But, someday, in the next life, it will be summer all the time and there won’t be any flies or anything else to bother us. In God’s world there will only be sunshine and perfect days all the time. Or, is it “son-shine?”

One other thing, before we leave the barnyard. You know….when you have horses, or other animals, you’re going to have food going in one end and something else coming out the other end. In the case of horses, it’s called manure, road apples, meadow muffins, etc. But, whatever it’s called, we know that it’s still the same thing. Although, I have seen it lacquered and made into goofy things and sold in tourist traps!

Anyway, if you were to cover one of these “puckies” with vanilla cake frosting, candy sprinkles and a cherry on top, it would look pretty good from the outside. It might even taste pretty good if all you did was lick the frosting. But, sometime or another, you’re going to get down to the middle or core of it and I don’t care what’s on the outside, the inside is still going to be “crap!”

There will be numerous things in your lives that will appear great at first but will not have any substance in their middle. There will be some people like this and situations, too. Pay attention when your shepherds warn you about such things and then be good shepherds, yourselves, and teach others. Because just like in the barnyard, you always have to watch your step!!!!