The Fantasy Spirit
And how to overcome it.
The spirit of fantasy is starting to gain more attention in Christian circles. As more immersive forms of entertainment emerge (i.e., movies, video games, and virtual reality), the fantasy spirit’s effect on people is becoming more apparent. But what does it look and feel like when the spirit of fantasy attacks?
At its root, the fantasy spirit’s theme is escapism. This spirit thrives on keeping us distracted, weighed down with unhealthy imaginations, and lost in alternate realities.
Now, I’m not saying that imagination is itself evil. God gave our brains an incredible ability to map out stories and ideas. It’s wonderful how architecture, inventions, and art can manifest from our creativity. But our imagination can be infiltrated by the enemy if we don’t protect it.
In my own life, the spirit of fantasy manifested itself through my nighttime dreams. From the time I was a little girl, I had an active dream life. Most of these dreams seemed innocent. I’d be Snow White escaping the evil queen, or one of the Hardy Boys solving a complex mystery.
The problem was my obsession with these dreams began to leak into my daily life. Even after salvation, I’d fantasize about escaping my “boring” world in favor of heroic adventures. This obsession continued into my marriage and caused quite the struggle.
Eventually, I found myself at a crisis. Dissatisfied with how dull my life “seemed”, I started entertaining options for real means of escape. This led to a defining moment in my marriage where I had to choose between my non-heroic “Mom” life and an idealized, romantic adventure.
I remember lying on the couch, begging God, “Please close this door of escape for me. I’m not strong enough to choose correctly here. Just make me a robot so my only choice is righteousness.”
Thankfully, the Lord didn’t make me a robot. But He did close the door that was tempting me.
This shows that my willingness to obey the Lord was the best first step towards freedom.
How to Discern the Fantasy Spirit
Sometimes you can’t quite discern where you’re hearing messages from. A demonic spirit’s voice can become so routine that it feels familiar. In such cases, these spirits’ voices are nearly indistinguishable from your own. You may need a trusted friend to point them out.
This happened in my own life when I had lunch with a friend, Renee Cooper. After recounting a vivid, constantly changing dream, Renee asked, “You can change your dreams all night long… like a movie?” “Yes!” I said, ecstatic. Renee gave me a serious look and said, “Dawna, that’s not a God dream, that’s a spirit of fantasy.”
A spirit of what?!
The Sneaky Side of Fantasy
The spirit of fantasy hides in our imaginations. In my case, fantasy dwelt inside my night time dreams. It kept me from addressing real life issues like boredom and lack of value.
You see, before being a stay at home mom, I was an exceptional student, athlete, and employee. For most of my life, my worth came from my ability to perform well. But as a stay at home parent with no audience to impress, it became hard to rate my success.
Isolation from “admirers” opened a door to fantasy in my life. This spirit tempted me with alternative realities where I was no longer worthless, but adored.
Overcoming the Spirit of Fantasy
The way I overcame this spirit was through active obedience. Every night before bed, I’d declare, “I am a child of obedience and I will not partner with you. I send you back in Jesus’s Name.” Sometimes I’d instantly feel fantasy leave. Other nights, I’d have to repeat this declaration until its luring voice faded.
Declaring and resisting the spirit wasn’t easy. Holding onto my healing was hard. Since I’d partnered with fantasy for so long, it had become a false comfort that my mind did not want to let go. In other words, it had become a demonic stronghold. I had to learn to “stand when [I had] done all to stand.”
Even after I successfully renounced this spirit, I still had to keep the door shut. During this season, I’d feel fantasy try to pull me away. But every time I’d say out loud, “I’m a child of obedience, and I will NOT partner with you.”
Eventually, with tears in my eyes, I was able to force this spirit to leave. But it took months of obedience and prayer.
Conclusion
Sometimes, breaking free from an evil spirit is easy. You ask God to remove its presence and it’s gone forever. Other times, it’s more difficult.
In my case, saying the words “I renounce you, fantasy spirit” was just one part of my journey. The rest was walking out my healing and keeping the door closed.
The good news is, even if you have a sliver of obedience, God can use that to deliver you. In my early days, I had just enough to keep fighting. God met me the rest of the way and added strength to my steps.
Today, I’m completely free from the spirit of fantasy. I’m able to enjoy my life, marriage, and family. I have grown so accustomed to the Holy Spirit’s voice that when the fantasy spirit tries to whisper in my ear, I call it out and send it back!
P.S. If you want to dive deeper into the fantasy spirit, you can find more information in my book, Overcoming Fear.