Soul ties are one of those topics that get talked about a lot in Christian circles, especially in Charismatic and Pentecostal churches. A soul tie is defined as an emotional or spiritual bond between two people that connects their souls and allows transference of spiritual and emotional energy, both positive and negative.
This spiritual connection is real, but there can be dangers associated with soul ties that need to be understood. In this post, we’ll take an in-depth look at what soul ties are, where they come from, their different types, and most importantly, the potential dangers and how to deal with them.
What Are Soul Ties?
A soul tie refers to a spiritual bond or connection between two people’s souls that transcends the natural realm. It is believed to connect two people in the spiritual realm.
Soul ties can be formed in many ways – through sexual intimacy, intense emotional experiences, abuse, trauma, manipulation, witchcraft/occult practices, and other unhealthy relationships. Godly soul ties can form between husband and wife, close friends, parents and children.
While soul ties are neutral, they can be either positive or negative depending on their origin and the nature of the relationship. Negative soul ties can spiritually link two people together in an unhealthy manner.
Where Do Soul Ties Come From?
According to Scripture, human beings are made up of three parts – body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our souls represent our minds, wills and emotions. Our spirits allow us to connect with God and the spiritual realm.
When two people’s souls become bonded at a deep spiritual level, it creates a soul tie. This can happen through what is shared in the natural – actions, experiences, words, intimacy, etc. The sharing in the natural creates a spiritual linkage as well.
While soul ties are mostly created by us through our interactions and relationships, the enemy can also establish ungodly soul ties through trauma, fear, abuse, manipulation, witchcraft and other ways.
Types of Soul Ties
There are several types of soul ties that can be formed:
Godly Soul Ties
- Marriage – God establishes a soul tie between husband and wife that creates supernatural oneness (Genesis 2:24). This is part of His design for marriage.
- Family – There are godly soul ties between parents and children. Siblings also share deep soul ties.
- Friendship – When we open our hearts and souls to friends, it creates godly ties. Biblical examples include David and Jonathan, Paul and Timothy.
- Godly mentors/leaders – Discipleship relationships create healthy ties. Paul had a deep tie with the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
Ungodly Soul Ties
- Romantic relationships – Any romantic relationship outside of marriage creates an ungodly soul tie. 1 Corinthians 6:16 warns against this.
- Sexual sin – Sexual intimacy outside of marriage establishes ungodly ties. All sexual sin creates ties with people God did not intend for you to be joined with.
- Emotional dependency – Overly dependent relationships where you rely entirely on someone other than God creates unhealthy ties.
- Abusive relationships – Any form of abuse – physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, spiritual – creates forced ties.
- Trauma bonds – Deep trauma like child abuse, rape, violence, or occult ritual abuse causes ties through fear.
- Soul ties through occult practices – Witchcraft, new age, astrology and any occult involvement opens you to ungodly ties.
- Manipulation/control – When someone seeks to control you through manipulation, fear or domination, it creates ungodly ties.
- Idolatry – Putting anything above God in your heart creates ties with things He never intended. E.g. money, fame, success.
Dangers of Ungodly Soul Ties
Ungodly soul ties open you up to many dangers, both spiritual and natural. If you suspect you may have unhealthy soul ties, you need to deal with them seriously. Here are some dangers to be aware of:
1. Negative spiritual transference
Ungodly soul ties create openings for the transfer of demonic oppression, depression, bitterness, anger and other destructive spiritual forces.
This is why after a relationship ends, people often experience emotional trauma, depression or anger they cannot explain. The ungodly soul tie allows transference through the spiritual realm.
2 Corinthians 6:14 warns us not to be unequally yoked for this reason. It creates openings for the enemy.
2. Addictive hold
Ungodly ties create a spiritual addictiveness – an unnatural hold one person can have on another’s emotions or state of being. It takes the Holy Spirit’s power to break free.
This is seen between abusive partners, where one keeps going back. It is a spiritual force binding them despite all logic saying to leave. Soul ties create spiritual chains around your will and emotions.
3. Blocks divine destiny
When our souls are tied together with the wrong people, it hinders and thwarts God’s will for your life. It creates constant spiritual friction making it hard to follow God’s path.
Paul warns even seemingly small things like business relationships with unbelievers can entangle us and ensnare our hearts (2 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Timothy 2:4).
4. Emotional instability
Ungodly soul ties and the resulting transference can open you up to emotional instability – irrational anger, depression, fear, confusion, heaviness.
When your soul is tied to someone operating under the influence of the enemy, you are open to partake of everything they experience in the spiritual realm, both good and bad. Their issues easily become your issues.
5. Spiritual darkness/oppression
If the person you have an ungodly soul tie with is operating under spiritual oppression or living in sin and darkness, you open yourself to partake of the same because of your spiritual connection to them.
Genesis 34 shows how Dinah’s ungodly tie to Shechem after he violated her, ended up causing her whole family to be cursed.
6. Sexual perversion
Illicit sexual relationships not only tie souls together, they open the door to all kinds of deviant sexual desires, pornography, masturbation and other forms of sexual sin that continue even after the relationship is over.
Soul ties created through sexual sin provide doorways for perverse spirits to enter and continually bombard you.
7. Generational curses
Ungodly soul ties can extend generational curses. This is seen when abuse, divorce, abandonment and other issues get passed down the family lineage because of the soul ties established.
That is why we are called to break destructive ties and be the generation that puts an end to it. The enemy wants to keep the cycle going through ties across generations.
8. Unnatural attachments
Soul ties often create unnatural attachments – an inability to totally break free from a person or relationship even after it ends. A part of you remains locked to them in the spiritual. This hinders healing and wholeness.
9. Partner’s sin/demonic ties affects you
When your soul is tied to someone under demonic oppression, the spirits afflicting them have access to you as well.
When a partner is in sin, it opens doorways of temptation, accusation and shame in your own life through the soul tie. Their issues easily become your issues.
10. Drains spiritual vitality
Ungodly soul ties slowly drain away spiritual vitality, emotional energy, passion, motivation and vibrancy. You start just going through the motions, feeling like something is siphoning away your joy and zeal for God.
Soul Tie Signs
Here are some signs that may indicate you have an unhealthy soul tie that needs to be broken:
- Unable to stop thinking about the person
- Having dreams about them
- Unable to let go of emotional attachment
- Feeling spiritually drained after interacting with them
- Sense of heaviness or darkness after spending time together
- Feelings of jealousy regarding them
- Compulsive need to know details about their lives
- Powerful burning or magnetic attraction
- Feeling like your emotions are linked to theirs
- Addictive need to be with the person
- Sense them manipulating your feelings or pulling your strings
- Loss of identity, purpose or values because of relationship
- Constant recovery cycles after breakups
- Unnaturally missing them for years after breakup
- Sense their eyes or presence on you even when separated
- Déjà vu feelings around them
- You experience the other’s emotions like anger, fear, depression
- Cycles of sin or addiction continue post-relationship
Breaking Ungodly Soul Ties
The good news is every ungodly soul tie can be broken by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here is a practical step-by-step process to follow:
Step 1: Repent for your part
Soul ties require participation from both people, whether consciously or unconsciously. The first step is to repent before God for your part in establishing the ungodly tie, especially through sexual sin.
Repentance cuts off the enemy’s legal rights and paves the way for soul ties to be broken.
“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)
Step 2: Forgive from your heart
Forgiveness is next, especially for romantic ties. We must forgive our ex-partners for hurts inflicted that helped form the tie. Unforgiveness strengthens bonds.
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25)
Step 3: Renounce the tie verbally
We need to verbally renounce ungodly ties. Audibly breaking soul ties releases spiritual power. Verbally command it to be broken in Jesus’ name.
Sample prayer: “In the name of Jesus, I renounce and cut off any ungodly soul ties formed between myself and ______ through sin or unhealthy relationships in Jesus’ mighty name.”
Step 4: Rebuke associated spirits
Any destructive spirits that entered through the soul tie need to be rebuked out loud. Rebuke spirits of lust, addiction, control, manipulation, perversion, depression, anger, fear, etc.
Command them to go in Jesus’ name. Call on the Holy Spirit’s cleansing and deliverance.
Step 5: Replace with godly ties
Replace bad ties with godly ones. Spend time in worship, prayer, Bible study and fellowship. Feed your spirit with truth, grow closer to family, pursue godly mentors.
Step 6: Guard your heart
Guard your heart going forward. Do not entertain thoughts of repeating the cycles. Avoid sensual content that can defile you. Commit to purity by God’s grace.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Step 7: Counseling/discipleship
For deeper levels of bondage, seek godly counseling or discipleship for restoration. Inner healing and deliverance ministries can help remove effects of trauma, abuse and occult ties.
Key Takeaways on Soul Ties:
- Soul ties are real spiritual connections between two souls
- They can be godly or ungodly
- Ungodly ties give the enemy access into your life
- All sexual sin outside of marriage causes damaging soul ties
- We must renounce all ungodly ties
- Hurtful relationship cycles are often rooted in unhealthy ties
- You can’t move forward if your soul is still tied to the past
- Forgiveness and repentance is necessary to cut ties
- Guard your heart and avoid anything that defiles you
- Surround yourself with godly ties on the path to wholeness
The spiritual connections we have are incredibly important. That is why we must be vigilant about what we join our souls too. Our intimacy is meant to be exclusively shared with God and our spouses alone.
Ungodly soul ties have caused many to remain spiritually, emotionally and mentally bound for years. But Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18). His salvation, healing and deliverance can restore our souls and cut every ungodly tie.
May the Lord give us revelation of any ungodly ties we need to break. May we walk in the freedom and destiny He has prepared for us. God bless you!
