The Bondage of Soul Ties

God created us to have relationship with Him. We are relational beings. When our relationships with others are inappropriate, we break relationship with God and directly affect our relationships with others. Soul ties can also be acquired from emotional ties or in a relationship of inappropriate authority. There is a bondage which develops from having inappropriate relationships (such as sex outside of marriage or someone taking advantage of us sexually against our will). We call this type of bondage “Soul Ties”.

The following are a few Scriptures related to this area that support the significance of this ministry model:

Prov. 5:1-23

“My son, give attention to my wisdom; Incline your ear to my understanding; that you may observe discretion, and your lips may reserve knowledge.  For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and smoother than oil is her speech; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.  Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of Sheol……………… 

Prov. 6:26

“For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, and an adulteress hunts for the precious life.”  Note:  A harlot wants only money.  An adulteress wants your life.

1 Cor. 3:16-17

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy. Which temple are you?”

1 Cor. 6:16-20

“Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, ‘The two will become one flesh.’  …………………

2 Cor. 4:1-2

 “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness, or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”  God breaks the power of shame through this time of ministry.  When we get saved, we confess immorality in general, but we don’t sin in general.  We sin specifically.  So, to be cleansed, we must confess specifically.

 2 Cor. 6:16-18, 7:1 …. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord…..

 The breaking of soul ties is one of the simplest models to use, and yet it is the most powerful in breaking the hold Satan has on someone. We have used this model to break the power of sin and shame with people who have had sex outside of marriage, been molested as children, and even survived incest. This spiritual bondage wreaks havoc in many lives, and the healing that can be experienced cannot be overstated. Several people have reported “feeling like a virgin” after praying through their sexual sins of the past.

The process of asking forgiveness and breaking soul ties may seem unnecessary to many. Some will argue, “God forgave me of my sins when I got saved.” Yes, that is true, but are you free? Scripture addresses sexual sin, holiness, purity, and the consequences of sin in this area on more than a hundred occasions. This is a very important issue in the Lord’s eyes.

When we got saved, we confessed in a general fashion, and God forgave us. Yes, this covered many sins and was extremely helpful. As we walk with the Lord, though, He continually urges us to let go of the sins we choose – sometimes secretly – to hold on to. These sins must be released for us to be holy, as God has called us to be. The following truth is difficult for us to accept when we sin in any area, we have first thought about it, planned how we are going to act it out, and many times we even dwell on the idea before we proceed to action. We sin specifically; we don’t sin in general.

We need to be as specific as we can in ministry sessions. When we ask forgiveness for specific sins, the enemy can no longer use it against us. We can then answer Satan, the accuser, when he attempts to condemn us for our mistakes: “Yes, I did that, and the Lord has forgiven me, and my sin is covered by the blood of Christ. I have been redeemed.” The revelation of God as our Father is much easier to experience after we have addressed soul ties as well. If we see ourselves as unclean, it is almost impossible to come into the presence of the Father with a clear conscience. God’s love is available, but we must receive it.

A Good Soul Tie May Also Become a Bondage

Soul ties can occur through strong emotional relationships, marriage, or close friends who share openly. These can be deep bonds that form naturally, but if that relationship ends for some reason the bond that formed may cause difficulty. It is great to have strong and deep relationships with others, but sometimes we can give a close friend too much authority in our life. If a healthy relationship ends for one reason or another, we may need to let go of it. We will be bound by that soul tie until we consciously let it go. We might find it necessary to release a soul tie with a friend or other close relationship simply for the sake of moving on. This could be for their sake as well as our own to be open to new relationships.

The Bondage

The bondage that comes from soul ties can keep us from healthy function in other relationships. For example, if we have a strong emotional tie with someone from our past, or if we have had a physical relationship with someone outside of marriage, these ties can hinder us from becoming one with the person we marry.

Regarding Purity

Scripture tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Scripture also cautions us against defiling our temple by sinning sexually. The motivation for breaking soul ties is to cleanse our temple and restore purity.

Redemption

To prepare for the ministry of breaking soul ties, take time to pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those areas where soul ties exist in your life. Consider the following:

• Are there areas of impurity (sex, inappropriate touching, lustful thoughts, etc.)?
• Has anyone defiled me?
• Have I defiled anyone?
• Are there emotional ties that need to be broken?

Make a List

It is helpful to compose a chronological list; starting with the first incident you remember and working your way to the present. Do not group people/events together on your list. As we confess each incident on our list, we come into a greater appreciation of what Jesus has done for us. It’s just plain humbling. An additional benefit of addressing each incident individually is that when praying through each one, we give ourselves opportunity to address something specific that we may have forgotten or did not want to confess to anyone.

Discard Gifts

You may also want to consider keepsakes or gifts from someone with whom you were in a sinful relationship. When we are seeking to break soul ties with someone, it is very helpful to remove the photos and other things we are keeping by which to remember them. Pray, and the Lord will reveal these things to you.

When soul ties are broken, we experience freedom that can leave us feeling pure and clean again, free from guilt and shame. This, combined with relinquishment, can bring us the joy of newness that comes from letting someone go and moving on with our lives.