Call the Exterminator!

Revelation 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man.

Since our move to the Negev Desert in Israel, we’ve had the privilege of meeting many fascinating and somewhat disturbing desert species, some of which have unfortunately had to meet the exterminator. One of these is the scorpion. Scorpions are commonplace here. They can often even be found in the house and they aren’t easy to kill. These little creatures have a knack for survival. I have even read that scorpions have survived nuclear weapon testing! But what’s more interesting is their method of devouring prey.

Scorpions use their fast-acting venom to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be rendered useless and eventually eaten. However, since they can only digest food in a liquid form, scorpions use external digestion, that is they spit digestive fluids onto the remains of their prey, which causes their flesh to turn to liquid so they are able to suck up the resulting soup. It sounds repulsive, I know. And you’re thinking “these things can be found in the house?!”

But I couldn’t help but see an analogy here.

This precisely how our enemy likes to operate. Satan and his demons come out of the cracks in our walls and lure us with subtle temptations which establish a foothold that eventually can become a stronghold. Once they establish that stronghold, they go in for the kill. They inject us with their fast-acting venom to paralyze us. Then they secrete the poison of sin and self-justification and turn us to mush until they can finally suck all the life out of us.  However, we are not ignorant of his tactics!  [2 Cor. 2:11]

We can call upon Him who is our “fortress and our deliverer” [2 Samuel 22:2-20] and expect to be freed from the enemy in our lives!  Seriously, who doesn’t want to live in a “scorpion-free” environment?

So let’s call upon the Lord today and ask him to eradicate every crevice of our being, to cleanse every area we’ve allowed ‘the enemy’ to come in and gain a foothold!  Make it a point today to live in a “scorpion-free” zone — for we have been given authority to tread on them! [Luke 10:19]