Today I had to drive over one hour to a work training. On the way there I felt extremely overwhelmed. There were things coming into my mind that I never think about. I saw thoughts of suicide, homicide, depression and so many dark thoughts, I found myself weeping and crying out to the Lord. At first I thought it was me. But as soon as I got through the first turn of the company’s parking lot, the feelings lifted. Respite. What was all that I wondered.

I did not have much time to think about it while at work. But when I got out the door and into my car. The feelings started again. I took a few minutes to catch up with people, with messages and such. I started going through my Facebook account. The list of attacks and wrongdoings were there. Deaths, thefts, injuries and sickness. And I started to see pictures

I heard the words “overcoming atmospheres”. So on the way home I thought about it. There was something here as I thought about it. I was angry. Angry at what my friends were going through.

But it also made me think. Why? How could this happen? Not just the injury, but the idea that it could happen. How? Why? And I felt that the Lord was saying, “what you allow I will allow”. And instantly, I thought “what is it I have allowed?” Understand I have had to unravel a lot of what I believe to be where I am now, in my understanding of grace, the finished work and faith.

And I know this because it has been escalating. We are in the midst of “great” onslaught. The enemy of our souls is in super high mode, exposing his anger, his frustration at grace and the goodness of God. He has thrown in everything including the “kitchen sink”. That is good. Why is that good? Because He is running out of things to do, to say. These are distractions. Yes, they are real. Yes, they are happening. But underneath what is going on?

As I thought about it, I realized it is where we “allow” our heads to be. What we are doing. What we are saying. It is truly a game being played in the mind.

I hear the words of the scriptures ringing through my head,

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, …

As I study and meditate on these verses in various translations and thought process, certain things jumped out at me.

Human reasoning was one. Our thoughts are not as “high” as His thoughts we are told. We must tap in to heavenly wisdom and reasoning. If it does not happen in heaven, it does NOT have to happen here. Consider that, if you will. What are you thinking that does not line up with Godly wisdom and heaven’s experience? Experience doe NOT equal Godly truth.

False arguments are those things that are “arrogant” in their rebuttal of God’s word and His will. They are speculative and untrue. (Ever look at Facebook and read some of the “mush” that is out there?) So, many just share it with no thought process, especially when it lines up with their political ideas or beliefs. But so many of those cross the line of truth and the wisdom of God. Another translation calls them proud obstacles while another rebellious thoughts. Our job is to destroy those fortresses that rise up in our minds, so they can not come forth. Destroy, annihilate.

We are to take lofty thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. To come under His headship.

And it tells us the “when our obedience” has become complete, then we will be empowered to overcome and make obedient that outside of us that is not obedient. What does that mean? And here is where the rubber meets the road. Where either you gain traction or you continue on in your thought process of inadequacy, of defeat. You and I can not change what is going on outside of us until we change what is going on inside of us.

Here is an example. If you believe it is God’s will (Or that it does not matter.) to be sick, to be injured or to be defeated, you will be. At some point you will succumb to the “lofty” thought that this is okay to be sick. You will not pursue healing, you will put labels on things and accept the “human condition” as the normal. Unfortunately you will be in error. Healing and wholeness were part of the price that Jesus paid with His blood, with His death and with the stripes bore upon His back. This is an “arrogant thought” that must be destroyed. I know because I have had to evaluate what I believe and what I think myself.

On Sunday I “saw” a large zit or pimple on a face. It “clouded” everything else. It drew attention and brought disruption to conversations. It got bigger and bigger. Keep this in mind…it was growing from the inside out. Building power, reddening while causing pain and embarrassment. It was a blemish. But it was not the result of oil on the surface, so much as it was empowered by what was going on, on the inside. At some point, I saw the head of it burst.

I had no grid for it on Sunday. Last night laying in bed, I then I realized that this is what is happening. There is something internal going on in the body that is causing stress, pressures and it has to “come out” somewhere. (Kind of like a balloon with air in it, you can put pressure on it in one place and the air will move to another place.)The result is not pretty. The prelude distracting and uncomfortable. What is on the inside is causing the problem. The “oil” of God is being poured on the body, but that is NOT the problem. It is what is on the inside.

Now I come back to “overcoming atmospheres”. That is a “two meaning” statement. There are atmospheres that are overcoming with their negativity and their demonic thinking. They can overcome if one does not stand up and resist. They can cause fear and anxiety. Neither of those are from God. But if you believe they are or even accept the idea, you are on the way. And then the other side is that you will overcome the negativity, the fear and the anxiety. You will cast down thoughts that are not true. That is door #2. Be an overcomer. Because He was. John 16:33

I choose “door #2” and desire to overcome the world’s negativity. To live in His rest.

The problem with the pain and such that I saw is the willingness of a person to truly examine their beliefs. They will not do that without seeing a place of safety. A wounded animal will not attempt to heal until it is away from the danger. Only then will it bed down and begin it’s recovery. In some respects we are like that. I find the people who struggle with this, struggle with the idea that God is not mad at them, that He loves them. And then you still have to provide them with a safe place to unravel their “stuff”.

Today we can be overcomers or overcome. The choice is ours.