The Exorcist's Bestiary

When I first teach people how to engage with our visionary model of deliverance, I often ask each part of the Trinity if they would like to visualize themselves for the participant. Theologically speaking, each part of the Trinity is being depicted by the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit often finds it helpful to work in the form of the three. The depiction he uses most often is that of Jesus, since a human is easiest for us to visualize and relate to.

But occasionally, the Holy Spirit will inspire a character that is not connected to the Trinity at all. Such characters are very helpful on the journey to inner healing and are, in a sense, puppets. But even though the Holy Spirit may have his hand inside these puppets, it’s important that you go along with the show as it’s presented and not conflate the puppet with Jesus. I remember doing this once when the puppet was quick to put me in my place, saying, “I’m not Jesus!” I realized at that point that I needed to go along with the show as it was displayed.

When such a puppet popped up in a different session, the participant smirked at the character and said, “That’s you, Jesus.”

Jesus then showed up and sweetly responded to the comment, saying, “I have my ways, and it’s best to work with them.”

As always, it’s important to discern the voice you’re plugging into during a deliverance session. The Holy Spirit’s puppets will tell you that they worship and follow God as they lead the participant toward the exact kind of thing that the Holy Spirit was already trying to teach them. The fruit of the Spirit is the goal of such inspired characters.