Wasps, Prayer, and Spiritual Warfare

Wasps, Prayer and Spiritual Warfare

Although this is a message which I delivered to a local church, it may well be applied to your life and your church.

One afternoon, as I was about to go home from my office, I decided to step around to the north side of our entrance to the church. I looked up in the corner above the door to see a large wasp nest with live wasps crawling over it. I noticed that it had been fairly cool day and didn't see any wasps flying around. It so happened that I had a large glass of cold water in my hand. I decided to try a little experiment. I threw the water upon the nest. The water excited the wasp, but with the cold water and cool air, they couldn't fly. There also happened to be a mop that someone had left out side the door; therefore, I took the handle of the mop and knock down the nest upon the sidewalk. Now the wasps are really stirred up, but they still are too chilled to fly. So I began to step on the wasp until they were all dead.

Then the next afternoon after we had had some wind and rain, I went back to check to see if the nest was still laying on the ground. It was gone, the dead wasps was gone. But somehow, there was a live one on the ground near the location. So, guess what? I also stepped upon him.

****** Today there are many people the world over that are praying concerning you , your family, and your church. It is Halloween to the enemy and the church of Satan is praying that Satan will destroy your home, your life, and the life of your church. Today I must give us a "wake-up" call to spiritual warfare and prayer.

The basic Scripture is Ephesians 1:15-23:

"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

I. We need to enter spiritual warfare to pray for one another and the church.

Why? Because Satan is the prince of the air and will come to set up squatting rights in our domain. Just like the wasp decided to build a nest at the entrance to our church. Now you could have asked any of those wasps, and they would have told you that they had a right to be there. And if given the chance they would have stung you to prove it.

II. However, we are not just to pray (ask). We are to pray with thanksgiving!

Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Thanksgiving is given with the anticipation of answered prayer. It is a prayer of faith.
A. A climate of thanksgiving keeps the enemy from attacking just like the cool weather kept the wasp from attacking me. In contrast, unforgiveness, bitterness, and anger sets the climate for Satan to attack us and bring painful hurts to us.
B. We are to continue to pray and not let our guard down.

III. We need to pray that:

A. That God gives us wisdom. Wisdom is "sight from God's perspective."
B. That God gives us revelation. Revelation is to "open that which has been hidden."
C. "In the knowledge of him." This is ethical and divine knowledge of Him. We must first know Him before we become effective in spiritual warfare.

IV. We are to pray that:

A. Our eyes of our understanding be enlightened. Darkness has to flee when the light comes. "Understanding" speaks of the mind. "Enlightened" speaks of illumination.
B. That we may know the hope of his calling. This is affirmation that God has called us.
C. What is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
a. "Riches" = external wealth.
b. "The glory" = evaluation.
c. "His inheritance" = which is properly received.
d. "In the saints" = those set apart unto God's service.
D. What is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward.
a. "exceeding" = above / beyond measurement.
b. "greatness" = The Greek word "megethos" is used here.
c. "of his power" = The Greek word "dunamis" is used here and usually interpreted as "power" (that of the Holy Spirit).
d. "to us-ward" = It is for us!
E. According to the working of his mighty power.
a. "Working" = It is effectual working, operation.
d. "His mighty" = It is His ability.
c. "Power" = The Greek word here means "force or strength".
D. Which he wrought in Christ.
a. When he raised him from the dead.
b. And set him at his own right hand in heavenly places. (We have access to this same power which overcame the enemy and raised Jesus from the dead).
c. Far above all principality = That of origin.
d. Far above all power = The Greek word here mean "authority".
e. Far above all might = (Greek "dunamis").
f. Far above all dominion = Governments.
h. Far above every name that is named.
(1). Not only in this world.
(2). But also in that which is to come:

V. We should consider our position.

When I saw the wasp nest, I first considered that I was an associate pastor and should take action. No one else was there. God had brought me into that situation. I was the person responsible to take action. Mordecai, Esther's Uncle warned Esther of not considering her position and raised the most important question. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14). God has made us kings and priests to reign upon the earth over the power of the enemy. The enemy is the squatter. It is our responsibility to take authority over him.

VII. We must consider what God has already provided.

God had not provided me with poison to kill the wasp. So, I considered the cool air and I considered the cold water in my glass. Many times we look around and say, "Oh NO! The enemy has come and I have no way to fight him." God would say, "I have already supplied all your need. What do you find in your hand?" What do you have in your hand? What has God already provided?
When Moses was excusing himself by saying that the people would not believe him, God raised the question, "And the LORD said unto him, 'What is that in thine hand?' And he said, 'A rod'" (Exodus 4:2). That rod was the only thing that he had. It was representative of his life as a shepherd. Once, Moses had been in line to become a ruler, but now all he was, was a shepherd. The rod, was more than just "a rod" as Moses answered. It was his rod. It was his life. He no longer had the position, the manners, or the speech of a ruler, just a rod of a shepherd. When he obeyed God and threw it down and again obeyed God by picking it up, it became "the rod of God", the power and authority of God in Moses' hand. When Moses went before the Pharoah's magicians, the rod of God ate the rods of the magicians. God instructed Moses to use the rod to bring many of the plagues upon the Egyptians. God told Moses to raise the rod divide the Red Sea. Moses raised the rod to win the battle against the enemy, Amalek, which came to attack. What is in your hand? What does God want to use in your life to defeat the enemy?
We also need to be filled with the water of the Holy Spirit before we attack the enemy. The water in the glass, by analogy, can also represent the power of the Holy Spirit that will render then enemy helpless.
Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Here the emphasis is upon Holy Spirit. Luke 11:20 "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." Here the emphasis is upon the power of God.

VIII. We must act in faith.

I did not know for sure that the idea would work. However, I decided to try it. I threw the cold water on the nest of wasps. Faith must be exercised. It must be tested. "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?" (James 2:14). "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17).

I took the mop handle and knocked down the nest. The mop handle was an extension of the power and authority of God in my hand. I kind of felt like Moses when he lifted up the rod of God against the enemy, Amalek.

IX. We must see that the enemy was put under the feet of Jesus.

Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
a. And hath put all things under his feet.
b. And gave him to be head over all things.
c. To the church. (the authority and power is also delegated to us being the body).
I stepped on each of the wasp having power and authority over them. We are to do the same with the enemy.

PROPHECY:

There is an enemy stronghold (a nest of wasps that has come to attack and destroy us). The name is "failure". Here are 13 wasps on the nest that I have discerned.

1. Fear = (Intimidation) A magnification of the power of the enemy in our mind.
2. Doubt = A lack of trust in God.
3. Division = Refusing to receive others in love.
4. Selfishness = An unwillingness to share with others.
5. Pride = Self exaltation (taking credit for that which belongs to another).
6. Laziness = Refusing to do anything.
7. Stubbornness = Doing it our own way.
8. Confusion = A lack of clear direction.
9. Disobedience = Our willful decision to do wrong.
10. Distractions = Entertainment (the improper use of time).
11. Greed = Haste to get more than needed for the moment.
12. Procrastination = Waiting until tomorrow to do what needs to be done today.
13. Ignorance = The lack of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

WARNING: If we leave the nest until next spring, there will be a good chance that some people may stung by one or more of the wasp and experience the pain of failure. If enough people get stung, then the church will fail.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO:

1. WE ARE TO PRAY.
2. WE ARE ATTACK THE NEST BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT.
3. WE ARE TO KNOCK THE NEST DOWN BY THE STRENGTH OF GOD.
4. WE ARE TO STEP ON THE ENEMY BY THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS.
5. WE ARE TO KEEP WATCH FOR THE ENEMY'S RETURN.