A soul tie is a deep emotional and spiritual connection between two people. They can occur in friendship, family, romance, or sex. Some soul ties can form through shared experiences, such as traumatic events, close friendships, or deep intimacy. Although positive soul ties are transformative and beautiful, negative ones can be toxic and harmful. This article will explore the biblical references of soul ties, red flags to watch out for, and how to break them. So let’s get started and understand what are soul ties and how to break them.

Understanding Soul Ties and Their Meaning

Soul Ties: An Intense Connection

A soul tie is a spiritual connection between two people that can be positive or negative. They form through physical, emotional, or spiritual intimacy and can affect your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. This is why understanding soul ties is essential for spiritual growth and maintaining healthy relationships.

Biblical Reference To Soul Ties

In the Bible, the concept of soul ties is not mentioned. But, there are biblical references that illustrate strong bonds and deep connections. One example is the friendship between Jonathan and David. 1 Samuel 1:8 states ‘And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul’. This is an example of a positive soul tie through friendship and brotherhood.

In 1 Corinthians 6:16 it states “What? know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh”. When a person engages in sexual relations, they become one flesh with the other person. This is a warning against sexual immorality where the Bible makes clear the importance of reserving sexual intimacy for marriage.

While Genesis 2:24 does not mention the term “soul ties,” it does explain the deep connection between a husband and wife. The verse states, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This speaks to the deep unity and intimacy of marriage. Where the concept of becoming “one flesh” suggests a merging of hearts, minds, and souls describing a bond that is strong, enduring, and exclusive.

Recognizing Unhealthy Soul Ties and Red Flags

• 1- Needy behavior: Finding yourself obsessed or too dependent on this person. And noticing manipulative and controlling behavior, are signs of a negative soul tie. Often, this type of control leads to isolation from friends and family.
• 2- Emotional Turmoil: Experiencing extreme highs and lows that are heavily influenced by their presence or actions, may suggest an unhealthy soul tie. This is usually the result of the relationship starting and moving fast.
• 3- Toxic Influence: If the person you’re connected to leads you towards destructive behaviors, undermines your self-esteem, and encourages negative patterns in your life, it could indicate a detrimental soul tie.
• 4- Narcissistic Patterns: Unhealthy soul ties may involve one partner displaying narcissistic traits, such as self-centeredness, egotism, or selfishness. These patterns produce unbalanced relationships and in most cases can become very abusive.
• 5- Loss of Identity: You struggle to make your own decisions or maintain a healthy self-image. This can manifest as losing personal goals, interests, or identity. Healthy relationships allow for individual growth while maintaining a deep connection.

Why Co-Dependency Can Lead to toxic soul ties

Codependency, also known as “relationship addiction” or “codependent behavior,” is a dysfunctional pattern of behavior and thought that often manifests in close relationships. It is characterized by excessive reliance on others for emotional fulfillment, self-worth, and identity. To the point where one’s own needs and well-being are neglected.

In codependent relationships, one person is often more emotionally dependent on the other, and this dependence can be mutually reinforcing. Codependency is not limited to romantic relationships and can occur in friendships, family dynamics, and even work relationships.

Characteristics Associated With Codependency

• Low Self-Esteem: Co-dependent individuals tend to have a poor self-image and lack confidence in themselves. They often seek external validation and approval to feel worthy.

• Excessive Caretaking: Co-dependent individuals often take on a caretaker role in their relationships, putting others’ needs ahead of their own and feeling responsible for their partners’ happiness.

• Difficulty Setting Boundaries: Co-dependent individuals struggle to set and maintain healthy boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of them or crossing their own limits to avoid conflict or rejection.

• Fear of Abandonment: Co-dependent individuals often fear being abandoned by their loved ones, leading them to do whatever it takes to keep the relationship intact, even if it means sacrificing their own well-being.

• Lack of Personal Identity: Co-dependent individuals may have a weak sense of self and define themselves primarily through their relationships with others, often losing sight of their own needs and interests.

• Enabling Behavior: Co-dependent individuals may enable their partner’s harmful behaviors, such as abuse or emotional manipulation, in an attempt to maintain the relationship.

• Difficulty Expressing Emotions: People with co-dependency issues may have trouble expressing their true feelings and needs, often suppressing their emotions to avoid conflict or rejection.

• Denial of Problems: Co-dependent individuals may downplay or ignore the existence of problems. Even when faced with obvious signs of dysfunction or toxicity.

• Addiction to Drama: Co-dependent relationships may be characterized by a cycle of drama and crisis, where the co-dependent individual feels a sense of purpose and control in “fixing” problems within the relationship.

It’s important to note that co-dependency exists on a spectrum, and not everyone who exhibits some co-dependent traits will experience them to the same degree. Additionally, co-dependency can stem from various factors, including past experiences, family dynamics, and learned behaviors.

Co-dependency can have negative effects on both individuals involved in the relationship, leading to emotional stress, loss of self-identity, and difficulties in maintaining healthy connections with others. Recognizing and addressing co-dependency through self-awareness, setting boundaries, and seeking support can lead to healthier and more fulfilling relationships. Professional counseling or therapy can be beneficial for individuals struggling with co-dependency to navigate their emotions and develop healthier patterns of relating to others.

Avoiding Co-dependency

Avoiding co-dependency requires self-awareness, setting healthy boundaries, and fostering emotional independence. Here are some steps you can take to prevent or overcome co-dependent tendencies in your relationships.

How To Overcome Co-dependency

• Build Self-Awareness: Identify any patterns of excessive dependence, need for approval, or neglect of your own needs. These are mental strongholds that you need to demolish. Do your thoughts stem from fear, insecurity, or the need for control? Remember you have to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 

• Develop a Strong Identity in Jesus: We are to imitate Jesus Christ instead of creating a false identity. Once you are aware of what God’s word says about you, that becomes your new way of thinking. Remember your confidence comes from knowing what God says about you, not anyone else.

• Set and Maintain Boundaries: Establish clear and healthy boundaries. Communicate your needs, preferences, and limits openly and assertively. Learn to make use of the word ‘No’, it’s completely ok to say ‘No’ and not feel guilty.

• Cultivate Independence: Encourage independence in your partner and yourself. Recognize that both of you should have separate identities, interests, and social lives. Although you may have similarities in certain areas of life. God made everyone unique and special in their own way. So learn to embrace what God has embedded in you that makes you special.

• Encourage Open Communication: Adopt a safe and supportive environment for open communication in your relationships. Encourage your partner to express their feelings and needs, and do the same for yourself. Be quick to address any issues instead of not saying anything at all.

• Seek Support: Build a support network of trustworthy friends, family, church leaders, or a therapist. That can offer guidance and understanding when you need help. Having outside perspectives can be beneficial in gaining clarity on your relationships.

• Practice Empathy and Compassion: Be empathetic and compassionate towards yourself and your partner. Understand that everyone has their struggles. And that you cannot fix or control everything.

• Educate Yourself: Learn about codependency and healthy relationship dynamics. Reading books, attending workshops, or seeking professional counseling can provide valuable insights. The Freedom Programme is an online program that has helped so many victims of domestic violence get educated in a deeper study of red flags and signs. They also have a book, which is very informative titled ‘Living With The Dominator’.

Sexual Soul Ties: why is sexual sin so bad?

The moment you have sexual intercourse with a person you have now come into a covenant with them. A covenant is a binding contract that can be quite hard to break, this is because sex consummates a marriage in the spirit realm. The culture of fornication (pre-marital sex) has given easy access for demons to transfer from person to person through the act of sex. As once you have sex with someone, you then come in contact with all their demons. Having a partner that doesn’t lead toward marriage is where a lot of soul ties form. This is why it’s so important to remain sexually pure before marriage, which means no pornography or masturbation as these are open doors to demonic attacks.

The Consequences of Sexual Sin: Spirit Spouses

The consequence of sexual sin leads to bondage with a spirit spouse. A spirit spouse is a demonic spirit that engages in sexual activity with you while you are asleep and dreaming. It can claim you as their wife or their husband hence the term ‘spirit spouse’. This wicked spirit is responsible for delays in marriage, divorce, uncontrollable bursts of anger, unexplainable arguments in your relationships with your real spouse, miscarriages, barrenness, problems in your sexual organs, and loss of glory and destiny. In some severe cases, there can be an ancestral spirit spouse that attacks the members of a family, because of a demonic initiation that took place by someone in the bloodline. Where this type of problem requires a lot of prayer and fasting, and also engaging in deliverance. In these situations, it is extremely important to break any agreements and covenants made with any demonic spirits in your bloodline. As well as addressing any unrepented sins and generational curses.

Choose To Be Righteous And Holy

It’s also very important to keep yourself away from all sorts of sexual sin because what you allow to enter through your eyes and ears will affect your soul. To safeguard yourself be careful of the things you watch and the music you listen to, do not expose yourself or consume content that is ungodly or perverted. Dress modestly, live a repentant lifestyle, and use the scriptures to fight your battles to help you gain victory. Remember you are most powerful as a surrendered vessel for God to use you and work through you. As opposed to defiling yourself and being used by the devil who can never win against God. If you want victory then you must be used by God, not the devil.

Army Of God Ministries has several in-depth sermons that cover this topic. They also have some powerful deliverance prayers at the end of their service.

How to Break Unhealthy Soul Ties

Breaking unhealthy soul ties is essential for personal growth and emotional freedom. Here are some strategies to break unhealthy soul ties:

1- Recognize and Acknowledge:

The first step is to acknowledge the presence of an unhealthy soul tie and make a conscious decision to end it. As awareness is crucial for initiating the healing process.

2- Identify the Source:

Reflect on the root of the soul tie; is it a romantic relationship, a toxic friendship, or a family member who hurt you?

3- Seek Forgiveness:

If you hurt the person, repent and seek forgiveness. Or if they hurt you, repent for holding onto bitterness and forgive them. Because the healing process begins once you truly forgive but, this doesn’t mean you need to have them back in your life.

4- Establish Boundaries:

Reflect on the reason why the soul tie became unhealthy and set healthy boundaries. If possible, cut off communication this will give you space to heal and break emotional ties.

5- Get Support:

Surround yourself with a robust support system, such as friends, family, church, or a counselor. If you don’t have a support network, ‘The Freedom Programme’ is an online program that has helped the lives of many women and also men who have suffered from domestic abuse.

Prayer

What To Do Before You Pray

Before you pray the prayer below, it’s important to have a foundation in Christ. This means you must at least at the very minimum have a prayer life, read your bible daily with understanding, and actively stay away from activities that are sinful. Understanding spiritual warfare is crucial to getting set free and staying free. If you allow yourself to continually sin in the things you want freedom from you are just leaving the door open for the devil to get access.

Why You Need A Foundation Of Prayer

The Bible describes the human body as a house (Matthew 12:43-45). Where demons can reside and call their home, or where the Holy Spirit can dwell and call it a temple. The first step is to make a lifestyle of prayer, worship, praise, and repentance because this is what makes the Holy Spirit welcome to dwell in you. Every time you choose to sin, you grieve the Holy Spirit and then you allow an open door for the devil to access you to torment you. If you get delivered from an evil spirit or a spirit spouse, they simply leave your body and come back with 7 other spirits more wicked than themselves because it wants a ‘home’ or a human body to live in. It’s only possible to keep them out if you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in through a lifestyle of prayer, worship, praise, repentance, and in many cases fasting too. It’s a Kingdom Lifestyle, not a one-time prayer fix. So start with the first step of reading your bible, repenting of your sins, and praising and worshipping the Lord, until this becomes your new routine.

Prayer To Break Soul Ties

“Heavenly Father I come before you today and I honor you and give you praise. Father, I Thank you for your mercy and for the blood of Jesus that covers all my sins. Father, I repent of having pre-martial sex, for having ungodly relationships that lead me astray and caused me to sin against you. I declare and decree I renounce all soul ties, vows, blood covenants, blood oaths, sexual blood covenants, and agreements I made Satan in my bloodline. I declare and decree I break all evil soul ties, vows, blood covenants, sexual blood covenants, blood oaths, and agreements made with anyone who led me to sin against you (fill in the names of people you had sexual intimacy/activity with/the person(s) you want to break ties with) in Jesus name. I renounce every covenant made with Satan in my bloodline, I renounce every ungodly soul tie and I divorce every spirit spouse in Jesus name. I repent of all sins known and unknown that I committed when I was in these relationships. And I break every curse that may have come from these relationships with the power of the blood of Jesus in Jesus’ name. Let all evil and spiritual relationships in my life break now in the name of Jesus. I cancel all agreements I came into with any of my past relationships and I choose to forgive them all and release them to you Father Lord. I now ask Holy Spirit to fill every area of my life and all my relationships so that Jesus will be glorified. I declare and decree the kingdom of heaven will now begin to manifest in all my relationships and I ask for the resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead to heal all the broken areas of my life. I now declare and decree I come into a new covenant with Jesus Christ in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Conclusion

Soul ties are powerful connections that impact individuals on a deep, emotional, and spiritual level. Understanding the signs of unhealthy soul ties is crucial for personal well-being. Breaking unhealthy soul ties involves recognition, establishing boundaries, seeking support, and focusing on your relationship with Christ. In some serious cases, you will need to fast and pray and seek deliverance for complete freedom. By taking these steps, individuals can liberate themselves from emotionally damaging connections and work towards a healthier and more fulfilling life.