“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Yesterday I took up the anti-ant mantle. With a David and Goliath mentality, me being the bigger and stronger Goliath, I decided to squash those little bugs. But first, I had to figure out how they were getting in, and invading the sanctity of my home.

It all began in my kitchen. It usually does. Anticipating my cup of “coffee”, which is caffeine-free hot water and Hazelnut creamer, I tentatively walked into the kitchen toward the coffee cups, and began looking along the way for little black specks wandering purposefully on my counters. Lo and behold, I discovered several invaders on the counter by the back door/garbage can/window area. Thus the war began.

Quickly killing a few of them, I turned my attention to tracking where those that remained returned to and where they came from. It appeared to be the window sill. So having run out of Raid, I turned to the natural home remedy of ashes (chalk works too) which they really hate walking on because it messes with the chemical scents on their feet. Believing I resolved their way in by filling in the voids with ashes, I waited for the stragglers and scouts to come back, and soon had eliminated about 20 ants.

This was NOT the end! They came back with a vengeance! Next they came in under the door, which led to them coming through the floor vent too! This battle went on for HOURS, with my home eventually smelling like vinegar. They don’t like the smell of vinegar either, so I sprayed and wiped the floors and walls down with a vinegar solution. This doesn’t kill them, but deters them since the they don’t like the smell and it erases the chemical traces left behind from their tiny feet. That way they cannot track their buddies’ activities. Needless to say, I spent a large portion of my day and energy trying to rid my home of these pests by using several supposed methods of repelling and ridding my kitchen of them.

We are in a daily battle with the determined “bugs” of the evil one.

Satan sends his minions to invade our personal life and eat away at what we believe in, and to distract us from good that we need to do. He uses those pestering, negative, hurtful or sinful thoughts to creep into our minds, weakening our resolve. This is his effort to take away our joy, our peace, and our faith.

So what is the best remedy for these “bugs” that we encounter every day?

“Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.”
Jeremiah 20:13

Let me tell you – it is PRAYER and PRAISE!
These are natural things we can use and activate every day that Satan HATES and despises! (And believe me, he and the ants will continually try your patience, every day!)
He can’t stand to be around that sweet smell of Jesus’ blood that has redeemed us.
He can’t stand to be in the presence of heartfelt praises offered to God.
He can’t handle hearing our prayers of thanks and requests for help in the name of Jesus.
Prayer and praise makes him powerless. He turns away, he gives up for a time, and looks for other ways to get in to your life.

Be wary of the wily ways of he who ‘bugs’ you the most. He is a determined creature, and knows you very well. He doesn’t sleep either, so he has plenty of time to devise his plans.
So don’t stop praying and don’t stop praising our Lord!
Know that Satan is already defeated…this is just a last ditch effort on his part to steal from you what is rightfully yours – strong faith in God, pure joy, perfect peace, and the hope of a bug-free eternity in God’s heavenly home.

“…forgive…in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
2 Corinthians 2:11

“Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
2 Kings 17:39

By the way, shortly after I posted this today, I realized how the Lord was trying to speak to ME about this topic as well. I was able to apply this strategy with an area that has been bothering me. Soon, I WILL see the results!…..

Food for thought: Your “home” is your physical residence, as well as your body. Ask the Lord to protect you and your home from the schemes of Satan. The Lord may allow some things to “bug” you, just be prepared with your arsenal of weapons that can aid you in battle. If you conquer this foe in the name of Jesus, you will be strengthened!

Fun facts: Home remedies for ant deterrents that I tried:
– cucumber slices w/skin – they loved it! An entire army of them came to party. FAIL.
– ashes/chalk – works as long as completely dry. OK.
– vinegar solution – eh. Yes, it wipes clean their tracks, but doesn’t deter them. Just makes your house stinky. FAIL.
– citrus skins – didn’t even bother trying due to cucumber fail. Rumor is they don’t like citrus…..
Additional notes:
– Ants do not have ears, but feel vibrations in an organ below their knee.
– Ants do not have lungs, but they have two stomachs.
– There are about 1 million ants to 1 person.
– Ants do sleep – some only about 10 minutes per 12 hours, others like the worker fire ants sleep a total of 4 hours a day, but its broken up into 250 one-minute naps per day.

Photo by: Salmen Bejaoul – Ants