Changing the Atmopshere

December 3rd, 2025
by Pastor Gary Comis

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt tension, even though nothing was said? The air felt heavy, like something unseen pressed against your soul. That is the power of spiritual atmosphere. Just as worship music can lift your heart, negative atmospheres can quietly suffocate faith, distort truth, and drain hope. Confusion, perversion, ungodly homes, demonic activity, and harmful attitudes create strongholds that bind minds and weaken believers (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Yet God never designed us to be victims of our surroundings. He called us to be agents of change, carriers of His presence who transform darkness into light.

Jesus stepped into demonized regions, corrupt synagogues, and hopeless towns and changed the atmosphere wherever He went (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38). David shifted Saul’s torment with worship (1 Samuel 16:23). The glory of God filled the temple when priests praised (2 Chronicles 5:13-14) and the tabernacle when Moses finished it (Exodus 40:34-35). Jack Hayford wrote, “Worship releases God’s presence, transforming oppressive atmospheres into places of healing and renewal.” Today we carry the same authority. His mission has become our mission. Using the simple framework of A.I.M. (Allegiance, Integration, Mission), we can stand unshaken and bring heaven’s atmosphere everywhere we go.

Five Negative Atmospheres We Face

Confusion and Darkness – This atmosphere creates a spiritual fog, clouding judgment and fostering isolation, where people wander without purpose or direction, feeling empty and lost. It makes God’s path seem unclear, leading to doubt and despair, as seen in societies gripped by moral ambiguity or overwhelming information overload that leaves individuals questioning truth itself (2 Timothy 3:2-7; Exodus 10:21). In this darkness, faith erodes slowly, making believers vulnerable to giving up, but God’s light through Scripture and worship can pierce it, bringing clarity and renewed hope.
A Perverse Culture – A perverse culture twists what is right, normalizing immorality, anti-Christian ideologies, and behaviors that deviate from God’s design, leading people astray and redefining sin as acceptable or even celebrated (Genesis 6:5; Matthew 24:37). It erodes biblical values through media, entertainment, and societal norms, creating environments where truth is relative and faith is marginalized, often resulting in spiritual apathy or compromise. Believers in such cultures face constant pressure to conform, but standing firm as a counter-culture can shine light and draw others back to God’s standards.
An Ungodly Home – In an ungodly home, strife, disrespect, and manipulation disrupt God’s intended harmony, breeding insecurity, rebellion, and emotional wounds that affect generations (Colossians 3:18-21). Without honor and mutual respect, families become battlegrounds where love is conditional, leading to broken relationships and hindered spiritual growth. Aligning with God’s order restores peace and blessing, creating a space where faith can flourish and family members support one another in pursuing His purposes (Psalm 128:1-4).
Accepted Demonic Activity – Accepted demonic activity thrives where influences like drugs, pornography, or occult practices are tolerated or normalized, opening doors to oppression, addiction, and spiritual bondage that drain life and hope (Revelation 18:2). These activities create a heavy, dark presence, often leading to cycles of destruction and despair, where people feel trapped without realizing the source. Believers must cleanse their spaces, monitor inputs, and pray authority over them, refusing to cohabitate with darkness to reclaim freedom and light (Ephesians 5:11).
Ungodly Attitudes – Ungodly attitudes like anger, cynicism, or fear spread like smoke, influencing those around us and creating environments of negativity and division that stifle joy and faith (Proverbs 22:24-25; 1 Corinthians 15:33). These attitudes erode relationships and hinder God’s work, making spaces feel heavy and discouraging. Cultivating godly attitudes rooted in faith and love counters this, fostering hope, unity, and a positive influence that draws others toward God.

A.I.M. – How to Transform Any Atmosphere

Allegiance – Loyalty to Christ Above All
Kingdom authority begins with undivided loyalty (Matthew 6:24; Luke 14:33). Jesus must be Lord of everything.

Integration – Submitting Every Area to God
No blurred lines. Work, family, finances, entertainment, all under His rule (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Mission – Living Beyond Ourselves
We confront poverty, addiction, injustice, and despair with the gospel and prayer, invading earth with heaven’s atmosphere (Matthew 6:10; 28:18-20).

Negative atmospheres want to wear you down, but you were born for victory. God commanded Israel to drive out every evil influence in the Promised Land so it would not injure them (Numbers 33:52-56). The same principle applies today. We cannot cohabitate with darkness and expect to stay healthy. This week, identify one negative atmosphere in your life, home tension, workplace negativity, ungodly media, or a harmful attitude. Then take deliberate action: pray Scripture over the space, replace perverse input with worship, speak life instead of complaint, or remove what should never have been allowed in. Stand unshaken. Wield God’s Word. Watch heaven invade earth through you.

Reflection Questions

How have you experienced a negative spiritual atmosphere in your home, workplace, or community, and what steps can you take to transform it using God’s Word or worship?
In what areas of your life (relationships, ambitions, finances) might you need to realign your allegiance to put Christ first?
How can you practically live out your mission as Christ’s ambassador this week to confront darkness and bring light?

Action Step

This week, identify one negative atmosphere in your life (e.g., tense home environment, negative workplace attitudes, or exposure to perverse media). Take a specific action to transform it: pray over your space, speak God’s Word into the situation, or cultivate a godly attitude through worship or intentional kindness.

Memory Verse

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, NKJV)

For more on this topic, listen to our message Unshaken, Part 12 - Transforming Negative Environments: