Atmosphere and environmental elements are easily overlooked when defining the power or lack of power you hold during spiritual battle. Life is a spiritual battle. It's the day to day, wake up, go do the things, come home, go to sleep, get up, and do it again, battle. Some days seem like a full on war, while others couldn't be any more peaceful or joyful. Yet, because we're in the battle, that peace and joy is only temporary.
There is a constant unseen battle between forces of good and evil that surrounds us daily. I know, that sounds like some fantasy cliche. Although, did you ever stop to think, maybe that's why we love those type of fantasies and stories about the fight between good and evil? Look at the great and popular stories like, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Beowulf, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the nursery rhymes, children's stories and fairytales. It's engrained in our very being. We have the whole story planted in us. The environment or atmosphere we are surrounded by will affect the way the story grows and plays out.
Environment- the whole collection of surrounding things, conditions, or influences
Atmosphere-the pervading tone, mood, or feel of a place.
Atmosphere-the pervading tone, mood, or feel of a place.
Many things affect our environment, and or the atmosphere around us. Some things include: history and mixture of different cultures, spiritual strongholds created by having a false understanding of who God is and who you are in Christ. Others include: memories and emotions, some hurt or unhealed from the past or current situations, preconceived ideas, opinions, and judgement based on politics, organizations, or people you associate with. I believe our expectations about a future hope we thought to be true or untrue are also a huge factor in shaping the atmosphere and environment we live in. Recently I read somewhere, "God created us with seven needs: (1) dignity, (2) authority, (3) blessing and provision, (4) security, (5) purpose and meaning, (6) freedom and boundaries, and (7) love and companionship. Whenever we seek to meet one or more of these basic needs outside God's design, we have set the stage for the development of a generational stronghold." The fall of man is when the generational stronghold began.
God The Father, God The Son, And God The Holy Spirit, the "Three in One" had so much love that He created Adam and Eve. He created them to have fellowship with and to have a target to pour out his love upon. He created a perfect place for them. It's atmosphere and environment contained everything they needed to live and grow spiritually, to enjoy and develop a life of fellowship with God and each other, with out pain or sorrow. A place of pure love, peace, and joy, we will never know this side of heaven. All that changed when man sought to fulfill his basic needs outside of God's perfect plan. One day soon His perfect plan will be restored to the glory and beauty Adam and Eve once knew.
Today, many generations removed from Adam and Eve, the atmosphere and environment has drastically changed. In some areas spirituality and fellowship with the Lord has been completely chocked out. In others, it is struggling to survive. Our atmosphere and environment have been polluted by man's desire to be independent from any God and free thinking. The desire society has to learn on their own, do it their own way, and please theirselves has pushed The Father so far away that the love He has for His creation has become tainted and unrecognizable.
I can look back on my life today, see areas where I have allowed different influences in and out of my life, and sought to fulfill my basic needs on my own, weather consciously or subconsciously. Sometimes thinking I was doing it all for the right reasons under the guise of, " I believe this is what God wants for me." While looking back, I can see where and how the atmosphere, had me in a strong hold causing me to starve spiritually. When the atmosphere changes so does the environment and vice versa.
At a young age I looked to man to fulfill the love I thought I was missing out on. Placing myself in situations that altered the atmosphere leaving me feeling less loved, respected, and secure. I was looking out side of God's plan. Plunging me into deep depression often fueled by anxiety. After years of living that way my environment completely changed physically and spiritually (as you may know from previous blog posts, especially my first one) for 22 years.
The environment was so drastically changed none of my needs of dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundaries, and love and companionship were being met. There came a time when I sought the Lord but I didn't give Him full control, I continued to hold back, as my expectations of hope and a future that included God's love were so tainted, I couldn't see the truth of what He really had for me.
So while at times the atmosphere cleared up and it became easier to breathe, it didn't last long and the environment didn't change. I was week and lacked boldness (which by the way I'm still working on) I grew weary of fighting the battle on my own not realizing the battle was never mine to fight!
There came a time I had to pray just like King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:12 ".....nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on you." Jehoshaphat prayed and God answered. Verse 15-17 says, "And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
God doesn't require a lot from us, just that we are faithful and watch. He told the King it wasn't his battle, he didn't have to fight. But then he said, go out against them. They were to just show up and be positioned, that's all. To be positioned is to anchor yourself. While positioned you may bend, twist, and turn but not break as long as your eyes are on the Lord. Position yourself, stand still, watch God do His work. The battle is not yours. Go and be positioned. You watch God change your situation.
God just wants you to be faithful and show up. You need to show up. When you show up, God shows off. If you confront it, He'll fight it! God requires you to show up so you can see His works. Many refuse to show up, they are afraid to face their fear or bad situation. There were so many times in my life while battling depression my way or man's way, I just could not show up for anything. In fact, I didn't want to, and just didn't. Depression and anxiety were my environment. I had to invite God in to change the atmosphere in order to develop an environment worth showing up for.
The battle still rages and the atmosphere still changes depending on what I allow to influence my environment. If I'm praising God with my mouth and worshipping Him with my actions, He is here in the environment in the atmosphere, He is in the center of it all. AND in that center there is love, the love I sought for so long. It's where my needs are met and my life is good. Oh, there are struggles and I'm sometimes bent so far I fear I might break, but in His presence there is peace. When I don't know what to do, I need to remember to look to my Father God, the one who created me and let Him fight the battle. My hope and future is in Him, where is yours?
"Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence, Lord"
- Kari Jobe, "Holy Spirit"
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