Soul ties are connections that we form with others through relationships and sexual encounters. While soul ties can be positive, unhealthy soul ties can hold us back spiritually and emotionally. As Christians, it’s important for us to break negative soul ties so we can live in freedom. In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll explore what soul ties are, where they come from, and most importantly – how to break them according to biblical principles.
What are Soul Ties?
A soul tie is a spiritual and emotional bond or connection that forms between two people through relationships or sexual encounters. While God designed healthy soul ties to develop between a husband and wife, unhealthy soul ties can form in other relationships as well.
Some common ways soul ties form include:
- Premarital sex or sexual sin
- Emotionally dependent relationships
- Manipulative or controlling relationships
- Relationships with unbelievers
- Ungodly covenants
When an unhealthy soul tie forms, it creates an unhealthy spiritual, emotional, and mental connection between you and the other person. This tie can influence your thoughts, emotions, and decisions, even when the other person isn’t physically present.
The Dangers of Unhealthy Soul Ties
Unhealthy soul ties can be extremely detrimental to our spiritual walk. Here are some potential dangers:
- They can hinder your relationship with God. An unhealthy soul tie forms a spiritual bond with another person that competes with your bond with the Lord. This can quench the Holy Spirit and interfere with hearing God’s voice clearly.
- They promote spiritual strongholds. Demonic oppression often works through soul ties. The enemy can gain access to your life through an ungodly soul tie.
- They foster emotional dependency. An unhealthy soul tie causes you to rely on another person. This prevents you from relying fully on Christ.
- They can introduce demonic oppression. If you’re unequally yoked to an unbeliever, you open yourself to their spiritual strongholds.
- They prevent emotional healing. An unhealthy soul tie keeps past hurts alive. As long as the tie remains, you may struggle to fully heal.
- They can trap you in sin. Soul ties make it difficult to disconnect from sinful relationships, behaviors, or addictions.
As you can see, soul ties have the potential to wreak havoc spiritually. That’s why breaking ungodly soul ties is so critical.
Where Do Soul Ties Come From?
According to Scripture, there are several ways we can develop unhealthy soul ties:
1. Sexual Sin
Sexual intimacy forms a strong soul tie, even outside of marriage. God designed sex to unite man and wife in body, soul, and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:16). When we engage in sexual sin, an ungodly tie is formed. Premarital sex, adultery, pornography, lust, molestation, and rape all lead to damaging soul ties.
2. Ungodly Covenants
Making a covenant involves establishing a contractual agreement or deep friendship. However, entering into ungodly covenants often involves oaths, pledges, and rituals that displease God. Secret societies, cults, gangs, unbiblical divorce decrees, and verbal contracts can create unhealthy ties.
3. Unequally Yoked Relationships
When believers partner with or marry unbelievers, the relationship forms an ungodly soul tie. Light and darkness cannot coexist without there being an influence on the believer (2 Corinthians 6:14). This tie produces spiritual turmoil and oppression.
4. Emotional Dependency
Unhealthy emotional bonds can form through friendships, dysfunctional family dynamics, or codependent relationships. Whenever we look to others to meet needs that only Christ can meet, an ungodly soul tie develops.
5. Abusive or Manipulative Relationships
Abusive relationships create strong toxic ties. The abuse victim often forms an unhealthy emotional or mental bond with their abuser through the manipulation, control, and trauma bonding. This gives the abuser an opening to influence the victim’s thoughts and emotions.
Key Takeaway: According to Scripture, sexual sin, ungodly covenants, unequally yoked relationships, emotional dependency, and abuse are all pathways for unhealthy soul ties to form.
Signs of an Unhealthy Soul Tie
How can you identify if an unhealthy soul tie is impacting you? Here are some telltale signs:
- Obsessive thoughts about the person
- Compulsive behaviors regarding the relationship
- Emotional volatility (intense highs and lows)
- Loss of peace when thinking about the person
- Denial about the unhealthy aspects of the relationship
- Feeling like your will and emotions are influenced by the person
- Unable to fully separate from the relationship
- Giving the person unhealthy power and control
- Addictive behaviors toward the person (constant texting, calling, checking social media)
- Blaming yourself for problems in the relationship
- The relationship prevents you from serving God wholeheartedly
If you’re experiencing multiple signs of bondage, you may be dealing with an unhealthy soul tie that needs to be broken.
Key Takeaway: Common symptoms of an unhealthy soul tie include obsessive thinking, emotional volatility, loss of peace, giving the person unhealthy control, and the inability to disconnect from the relationship.
How to Break Unhealthy Soul Ties
If you’ve identified an unhealthy soul tie, taking steps to break it is essential for walking in freedom. Through God’s power and truth, every ungodly tie can be severed! Here are the keys:
1. Repent of Any Sin
The first step is to repent before God of any sins associated with the soul tie. For example, ask God to forgive you for sexual immorality or for entering into ungodly covenants. Repentance allows God to begin the healing process.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
2. Forgive Others Involved
Bitterness and unforgiveness provide legal access for soul ties to remain intact. You must forgive anyone who has sinned against you related to the tie, even if reconciliation isn’t possible. This releases them into God’s hands.
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)
3. Renounce the Ungodly Relationship or Covenant
Verbalize your desire to renounce the ungodly soul tie. Directly break any ungodly relationship, covenant, contract, or agreement tied to the soul tie. This prohibits you from staying spiritually bound to the tie.
“I want to renounce and break any ungodly soul ties formed between myself and ______ through sexual sin, ungodly covenants, or emotional dependency. I proclaim those ties are now severed in Jesus’ name.”
4. Pray for Inner Healing
Ask the Holy Spirit to begin healing your soul and revealing any wounds or damages resulting from the tie. God may highlight areas of insecurity, shame, emotional dependency, or spiritual strongholds tied to the relationship. Yield those areas to Him.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
5. Replace it with Godly Ties
The best way to overcome unhealthy ties is to redirect that affection and dependency back to God. Spend time developing an intimate relationship with Christ and godly friendships with believers.
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
6. Guard Your Heart
Stay vigilant following deliverance from an ungodly tie and guard your heart. Avoid situations that could cause the soul tie to re-form. Maintain healthy boundaries with the person related to the broken tie.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Key Takeaway: Repenting of associated sin, forgiveness, renouncing the relationship, inner healing, forming godly ties, and guarding your heart are key steps to breaking unhealthy soul ties.
Finding Freedom through Christ’s Power
While unhealthy soul ties can be challenging to overcome, we serve a God who is able to do above and beyond all we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20)! Through Christ, every negative tie can be severed and replaced with His perfect love and freedom. As you implement these biblical strategies, believe that Christ’s power in you is greater than any tie seeking to bind you. He promises the truth will set you free (John 8:32). Walk boldly in the deliverance and wholeness He freely offers!
