✝️ I Don’t Want Hype — I Want Jesus
A Devotional Call to Discernment, Surrender, and Truth
Written by Rylan Isabella Wicker
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God...”
—1 John 4:1 (ESV)
🕊 A Confession Before We Begin
This isn’t just a devotional. It’s a heart cry.
I almost didn’t write this—not because I’m afraid of truth, but because I never want to discredit someone’s personal experience or dismiss how God may have worked in their life. I believe God moves in beautiful, unexpected ways. I believe He still speaks, heals, and delivers today.
But I also believe there’s a growing trend of man-made deliverance, ritualized spiritual warfare, and performance-based Christianity that is leading people away from Jesus—not toward Him.
We weren’t called to hype.
We were called to abide.
💔 I've Been There Too…
I spent years running with Satan before I surrendered to Jesus. I know what it’s like to chase power, performance, and spiritual experiences that promise freedom but deliver bondage. I’ve seen people fake manifestations because of pressure. I’ve watched emotional hype be mistaken for the Holy Spirit. I’ve even participated in things I now see grieved the heart of God.
Maybe that’s why I’m so passionate now.
🕊 I don’t want a stage—I want a Savior.
🕊 I don’t want deliverance theatrics—I want true freedom in Christ.
🕊 I don’t want counterfeit fire—I want the Holy Spirit.
Even if I never see another miracle…
Even if my walk feels mundane…
Even if I feel misunderstood…
I want Jesus. I want the real thing.
⚠️ The Danger of Man-Made Deliverance
There are countless teachings and practices circulating in the Church today that may sound spiritual, but have no foundation in Scripture, such as:
“Break soul ties with a declaration.”
“Call parts of your soul back.”
“Declare yourself untraceable in the spirit realm.”
Command angels to strike or judge demons.
Lead people into past memories to ‘find Jesus’ in the trauma.
Let’s examine these biblically.
🛑 Commanding Angels to Judge Demons
Some teach believers to command angels to fight demons or strike them with judgment. But Scripture never teaches this.
Even the archangel Michael didn’t rebuke Satan directly:
Jude 1:9
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil... did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Psalm 103:20–21
Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
Angels obey God’s Word, not ours. We are never told to command them.
🛑 “Finding Jesus in Your Trauma” Practices
Some ministries lead people through guided prayers to revisit painful memories and visualize where “Jesus was in the room.” While this may feel healing in the moment, it is not modeled by Jesus or the apostles and can result in:
False memories or emotional suggestion
Dependence on experience instead of truth
Spiritual confusion or even deception
Jesus never told His disciples to go back and relive their wounds. Instead, He called them to die to self and press forward.
Philippians 3:13–14
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal...
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Isaiah 43:18–19
Remember not the former things... behold, I am doing a new thing...
We are not called to relive our past to be free—we are called to surrender it and walk in newness of life.
💡 Real Freedom Isn’t in Ritual—It’s in Relationship
John 8:31–32
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Deliverance isn’t about repeating phrases or spiritual techniques. It’s about knowing the Truth—and His name is Jesus.
🛡 Real Spiritual Warfare: The Armor of God
The Bible gives us clear, practical instructions for spiritual warfare—not mystical rituals:
Ephesians 6:10–18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God...
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth... the breastplate of righteousness... the readiness of the gospel of peace... the shield of faith... the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God... praying at all times in the Spirit...
No calling out specific spirits.
No commanding angels.
No soul-cleansing ceremonies.
Just the Word, prayer, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and truth.
🌿 Abide in Christ—Not in Hype, Hysteria, or Methods
John 15:4–5
Abide in me, and I in you... apart from me you can do nothing.
When we become obsessed with demons, warfare, or deliverance techniques, we are no longer abiding in Christ—we’re striving in our own strength.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me...
Hebrews 12:2
...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...
The goal isn’t to feel powerful.
The goal is to be surrendered.
The goal is Jesus.
🙏 A Prayer of Surrender and Discernment
Jesus, I want You—not hype, not performance, not counterfeit fire.
Open my eyes where I’ve been spiritually blind.
Tear down every lie, every false practice, every emotional response I’ve mistaken for Your Spirit.
Cleanse me of man-made rituals and draw me into real, raw relationship with You.
I lay it all down at Your feet.
Teach me to abide in Your Word, walk by Your Spirit, and trust Your truth above my feelings.
Amen.
🌟 Final Word: Every Good Gift Is from Him
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights...
God is still moving. Still healing. Still delivering. But He’s also calling us back to purity, to truth, to Himself.
We don’t need a show.
We don’t need hype.
We don’t need methods that feel powerful.
We need Jesus.
