Karen Hardin: Have You Been Swatting Flies?
Jan 31, 2026
Flies in the Natural and the Spiritual There are two kinds of flies: natural and spiritual. What started out as swatting natural flies turned into swatting "spiritual flies"—annoyances meant to discourage us and make us come to a halt. Intruders in Our Home An odd thing happened at my home recently. We were inundated with flies. At first, we thought perhaps the door had been left open, allowing flies trying to escape the unseasonable heat to the cooler air inside. But for every fly we killed, one or two more would appear. It was a seemingly never-ending barrage of annoyance. Their constant buzzing noise, flying around us, landing on food and counters. In one evening, we must have killed fifteen to twenty. It was with a sense of satisfaction and a smile when I killed what I thought was the last fly, only to walk into our bathroom and find another one buzzing around. And then it would start again the next day. That's when we realized that eggs must have been laid by one of the aggravating beasts, and we were now reaping the result. All of this took place after my husband and I had just come off an excruciatingly busy schedule, launching a three-day revival in a large arena in our city. When Spiritual Flies Swarm After we took on the assignment to assist with the event, we encountered another set of "flies"—demonic annoyances.
Also, during that same six-week interval, we had a big family issue arise, which took a lot of emotional energy and time. My husband and I were juggling one thing after another, even as we were already working to keep up with our normal workloads and the massive amount of additional tasks on our shoulders for the upcoming revival. It felt like we were swatting flies constantly. If you have ever stepped out to take ground for God, you have most likely also experienced that "coincidence" of thing after thing that starts to go wrong with your car, your house, or your relationships—demonic attacks that are like flies. Have You Been Swatting Flies? Have you been swatting flies in the spirit realm? Do you feel that annoyance and frustration that every time you take one step forward, you feel you are pushed back two? Every time a door seems to open, you turn to see it slammed shut? And as you step forward to take on a God assignment, you feel swarmed by demonic attacks? Those "flies" are intended to cause us to give up and stop. Why? Because we are being effective and on the verge of breakthrough. David Battled Flies When I sense that type of harassment spiritually, I often think of David, especially after he had accomplished so much. He raised up an army of 400 to 600 outcasts to be mighty warriors. He was being chased by the king and his army—after serving him faithfully.
David was being swarmed by flies. Go to a Higher Level of Support If you are feeling swarmed, now is not the time to give up. Perhaps you have reached out for help and felt there is none. But you have the Holy Spirit! That is where David was at. He was surrounded by those who wanted him dead. All he could do was turn toward the Lord. When it would have been easier to give up, he pressed in. That is what we must learn to do. True maturity and strength is recognizing that the Holy Spirit always has a supply for us, and we must learn to go to Him to receive it. David encouraged himself in the Lord. Rather than getting mad and throwing in the towel, he pressed in to a higher level of support from Heaven. And that is where we are all going. It's great to get support from friends, family, and the church, but we have to be able to press into the Holy Spirit to receive our supply, direction, encouragement, and hope. If we are truly seated with Him in heavenly places, then that needs to be our perspective and where we go for strength and encouragement—to heavenly places and sit with Him. Are you feeling swarmed by flies? Do you feel you are ready to break under the weight of it all? Maybe what you are facing isn't just the annoyance of a freezer going out or water pouring down the walls of your closet, but a life-or-death diagnosis or crisis that seems impossible to overcome—a Ziklag moment. Don't give up. Pray. Press in. Keep swatting the flies until you see the breakthrough, which is on its way.
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Karen Hardin Karen Hardin is a journalist, activist and revivalist, using her pen and prayer to seek change for our nation to turn it back to God and to truth. Her work has been published in USA Today, Western Journal, Intercessors for America, Charisma, The Elijah List, and more. She is the author of several books, including "Scriptural Prayers for America and Donald Trump," and "Infected: How to Stop the Global Spread of Rage, Deception and Insanity." For additional information, go to awakeoklahoma.com or karenhardin.com.
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During a six-week period, as we worked to prepare for the revival, several things happened. The overflow pan of the AC condenser located upstairs clogged. We walked into our master closet late on a Friday afternoon to find water dripping down the walls and through the light fixture from the second floor. Because it was late Friday, we were in weekend rates for a repairman. The following week, our freezer froze up. This also happened (you guessed it) on a Friday afternoon after hours. We had to unload the freezer and store our frozen goods until it was repaired. (Photo via Pexels)
Then the city (Ziklag) where he lived was attacked, burned, and all his and his men's possessions, wives, and kids were taken by the enemy army. And if that wasn't enough, his men, in their frustration, were talking of killing him. (Photo via Piqsels)
