Entomology Today reported about a specific blue butterfly (Maculinea arion) that has an interesting relationship with a certain type of ant (M. sabuleti). In the caterpillar stage of this butterfly, the caterpillar secrets a sweet scent from its "honey gland." This lures the ants to the caterpillar and they want the sweet substance so badly they carry the caterpillar, which pretends to be dead, back to the colony. Once there, the caterpillar will begin to eat the over 200 ant grubs that is needed for the caterpillar to survive. The ants continue to produce the grubs and the caterpillar continues to eat what it can.
When the caterpillar is ready to pupate, it either leaves the colony or it will pupate inside. If it stays inside the colony, the ant grubs will actually begin to care for it and protect it from harm. But this relationship is actually self-destructive from both sides. If the ant colony brings in too many caterpillars, they eat all the grubs and destroy the colony which destroys the food source for the caterpillar.
However, if there are multiple queens in this colony, it will produce enough workers to kill all the caterpillars and the colony is free from this deadly consumer of their young. (From https://entomologytoday.org/2014/04/04/the-curious-case-of-the-large-blue-butterfly-a-conservation-success-story/ accessed 06/29/2020)
Application
Sin is insidious. It looks so good and promises to be so sweet to the life of the one being tempted. It looks harmless and inert but when when brought into a life, it begins to consume. It consumes joy, it consumes marriage, it consumes our families, it consumes peace. When brought into a community of faith, it begins to consume the life of the community and the young are especially impacted.
Sin will consume until there is nothing left to consume. But there is one who has conquered sin! It is only when there is the proper Kingship placed in the life of the one sin is consuming that there can be victory, freedom, and life!
Galatians 5:1 - It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (NASB)
Romans 6:20-23 - For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21] Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. [22] But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.