The idea of having a soul tie with someone else is common in popular culture. While the concept originates from New Age teaching, some Christians also teach that soul ties can occur among people.
Before I examine if soul ties are a biblical concept, I think it is helpful to first talk about what this term means. Then, we can look more closely at the biblical evidence.
What Are Soul Ties?
The concept of soul ties was created by humans and refers to a bond between two people. Some proponents of this concept teach that both parties in the bond experience an intertwining of their souls.
Others believe that soul ties refer to a strong connection based on physical and emotional energy. However, a common theme among supporters of this concept is that the link between two people is a mystical connection.
This so-called bond between two people’s souls often occurs through sexual acts. People often use the concept to promote the idea of finding the person who “completes” them.
Although soul ties often refer to a deeper connection through sexual relations, other ties can also be formed between two friends or between people who knew each other from “past lives.”
Christians who promote the idea of soul ties misuse Bible verses to support their views. Also, these Christians also commonly work with “deliverance” ministries where they help people “break” soul ties as part of their work against evil spirits. They believe that demons can travel to and from people who are connected by soul ties.
People who follow New Age or Wiccan beliefs do not think that all soul ties are wrong. To them, soul ties are common connections we make with others, but they can become dangerous.
At that point, they would recommend breaking a soul tie using a spell or ritual. Typically, these rituals involve meditation or calling on “angels” through tarot cards or pendants.
Is Marriage the Same as a Soul Tie?
Christians who support the idea of soul ties teach that the Bible mentions this mystical attachment. However, the verses they use display a poor understanding of God’s Word.
One of the main verses Christians and nonChristians use is Genesis 2:24: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
It is important to note that this verse says nothing about a husband and wife having a soul tie. Instead, Scripture emphasizes how marriage unites a man and woman where they become “one flesh” physically.
God does denounce sexual acts outside of marriage, but it is not because sexual relations produce soul ties. He created marriage as a union between a man and woman (Mark 10:7-9). Anything outside of His intended purpose is sin.
The problem with any sort of sexual relationship outside of marriage is that it violates God’s purpose and is thus a sin (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). Also, these relationships cause damage because people are often acting on sinful impulses, trying to fulfill lustful desires.
Furthermore, when people become “one flesh” they are not combining their souls. A person does not find their “better half” when they marry, because humans are not halves.
Finding a marriage partner is not about being “complete.” If a person knows Christ, then they are already complete (Colossians 2:10).
In contrast to the enduring connection of soul ties, which supposedly spans time and “other lives,” marriage is not a permanent institution since it ends with death (1 Corinthians 7:39). No one will marry or engage in sexual acts in eternity (Matthew 22:30).
Furthermore, a person could not be bound to another person from a past life because “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Therefore, the biblical view of marriage is not equivalent to a soul tie.
Can Friends Experience Soul Ties?
Another biblical example used by Christians who have deliverance ministries is David and Jonathan’s friendship.
In 1 Samuel 18:1, the verse mentions the “souls” of David and Jonathan: “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” (KJV).
In this verse, soul tie proponents focus on Jonathan and David’s souls being “knit” or “bound” together.
An interpretation that views this verse as support for the concept of soul ties is wrong because it misses Scripture’s meaning. Jonathan and David were close friends.
Multiple modern translations of the Bible convey this meaning in their translations, such as the CSB: “When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself” (1 Samuel 18:1).
The wording of the verse emphasizes their strong friendship, but it does not teach that their souls were tied in a mystical bond. Instead, these two men demonstrate an extraordinary example of friendship.
The basis of their friendship was a shared love for the Lord and loyalty to each other, not a magical tie. They shared a covenant of friendship, not a soul tie (1 Samuel 18:3-4; 1 Samuel 20:42).
What Is the Biblical View?
The only Person that people can become one in spirit with is the Lord. As 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” We become “one” with Christ and are in Him when we experience salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us (John 14:16). We are in Him, and He is in us. The Apostle John clarified this truth when he wrote, “God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us” (1 John 4:13, NLT). Therefore, we are united with Christ in our soul and spirit, but not with anyone else in this way.
How Should We View Soul Ties?
Instead of trying to claim that a person is mystically tied to another to explain sinful or obsessive actions, people need to take responsibility for their choices and behavior. Sin, not soul ties, is the reason why people engage in wrong sexual actions with others outside of marriage.
Also, people need to thank the Lord for close friends instead of believing that the universe provided them with a “soul” friend. A mystical connection with others is not the reason we have friends.
Sometimes we can connect with others more easily, but often enduring friendships take commitment and effort. When we have a close friendship, like the one modeled by David and Jonathan, we should praise God for this blessing and continue to invest in the life of our friend.
Finally, we should not participate in soul tie-breaking rituals, spells, or ceremonies. These actions are based on witchcraft, which is forbidden by Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:10).
Also, believers should not try to contact angels through prayers or calling on them for help, because we are never told to seek out the help or guidance of a “guardian” angel or the archangel Michael. Any sort of communication with supposed angels would be the result of demonic influence.
Even though New Age and Wiccan websites might promote the use of angelic intervention for breaking a soul tie, they do not understand that they are dealing with demons, not God’s angels.
Satan and his demons can appear as “angels of light” to deceive people (2 Corinthians 11:14). Hence, believers do not need to participate in any sort of witchcraft or ceremony to break a soul tie.
Why Does This Matter?
Soul ties are a popular and trending concept in today’s Western culture. People might come across an article talking about the idea of being connected with another person’s soul or a ministry that supports the need to break a soul tie.
Being aware of the misuse of Scripture by those who promote the idea of soul ties is important so that you are not deceived or misled by this manmade teaching.
Soul ties are not a biblical concept, which is why believers and others should avoid ministries or rituals associated with these supposed bonds.
For further reading:
How Can Believing in Soulmates Ultimately Ruin Your Marriage?
Why Is the Phrase ‘You Complete Me’ in Marriage Misleading?
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