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Breaking soul ties is one of the most important and least understood aspects of biblical inner healing. You may have ended the relationship — but something still pulls you back. You may have forgiven the person — but you still feel spiritually bound to them. That invisible cord connecting you to someone who hurt you, used you, or left you is a soul tie — and it requires more than distance or time to sever it.
Breaking soul ties is not a concept invented by modern ministry — it is rooted in the biblical understanding of how deeply human beings connect with one another. The Bible describes this in 1 Samuel 18:1 (NKJV), where the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. That same knitting can happen in wrong relationships — and when it does, it must be deliberately broken in the name of Jesus Christ.
"The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."
When that knitting happens in a godly context it is a blessing. When it happens in an ungodly context — through sexual immorality, abuse, manipulation, or unhealthy dependence — it becomes a chain. Breaking soul ties through biblical ministry is the key to genuine freedom.
What Is a Soul Tie?
A soul tie is a deep spiritual bond formed between two people through significant emotional, physical, or spiritual connection. Not all soul ties are harmful — God designed us to form bonds with one another. But when those bonds are formed outside of God's order, or through sin and trauma, they become ungodly soul ties that must be broken.
Think of it this way: every significant relationship leaves a mark on your soul. A healthy soul tie strengthens and builds you. An ungodly soul tie drains, confuses, and keeps you bound — even when the relationship is long over.
Types of Soul Ties That Need Breaking
Sexual Soul Ties
The most powerful and most common. Every sexual relationship outside of marriage forms a soul tie — 1 Corinthians 6:16 (NKJV). These ties explain why past sexual partners continue to occupy the mind and emotions long after the relationship has ended.
Abusive Soul Ties
Formed through relationships where one person controlled, manipulated, or abused another. Trauma bonding creates an intensely strong soul tie — one that makes victims feel drawn back to their abuser even when they know it is wrong. Breaking this type of soul tie requires ministry, not just willpower.
Parental Soul Ties
When a parent-child relationship has been marked by control, enmeshment, or emotional abuse, unhealthy soul ties form. These manifest as an inability to make decisions independently, excessive guilt when setting boundaries, or feeling responsible for a parent's emotions well into adulthood.
Friendship Soul Ties
Close friendships — especially those involving emotional dependency, unhealthy spiritual authority, or occult involvement — can form soul ties that influence thought patterns, emotional responses, and spiritual direction long after the friendship has ended.
Ministry Soul Ties
Formed under controlling or spiritually abusive church leadership. When someone submits their spiritual life to a leader who exercises ungodly authority, a soul tie forms. This is one reason people who leave spiritually abusive churches struggle with guilt, confusion, and inability to trust God freely.
Occult Soul Ties
Formed through involvement in occult practices — witchcraft, divination, secret societies, or ungodly spiritual agreements. These soul ties have a demonic dimension and require both inner healing and spiritual ministry to fully break.
Signs You Have an Ungodly Soul Tie
Soul ties are invisible — but their effects are not. Here are the signs that an ungodly soul tie is still active in your life:
- You cannot stop thinking about a past relationship even though it ended long ago
- You feel emotionally or spiritually drained after contact with a specific person
- You feel compelled to return to a relationship you know is harmful
- You hear the voice of a past abuser or controlling figure in your mind
- You feel guilt, anxiety, or fear when you try to set boundaries with someone
- Your identity feels fused with another person — you don't know who you are apart from them
- You experience sexual dreams or intrusive thoughts involving past partners
- You feel spiritually blocked and cannot identify a clear reason why
If you recognise several of these, breaking soul ties through biblical inner healing ministry may be the key to the freedom you have been seeking. You may also want to read our post on Signs You Have a Wounded Spirit — the two are often deeply connected.
6 Biblical Steps to Breaking Soul Ties
Breaking soul ties is not a ritual — it is a Spirit-led process that combines honesty, forgiveness, renunciation, and the authority of Jesus Christ. Here are the six steps we walk through in ministry:
Identify the Soul Tie
Name the relationship specifically. Breaking soul ties begins with being honest about which relationships have left ungodly bonds. The Holy Spirit will often bring specific people to mind — do not dismiss these. What surfaces in ministry is usually what needs to be addressed.
Confess Any Sin Involved
Where the soul tie was formed through sin — sexual immorality, occult involvement, ungodly agreements — we confess that sin before God and receive His forgiveness. This is not about shame — it is about closing the legal ground that keeps the tie in place. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV).
Release Forgiveness
Breaking soul ties requires releasing forgiveness to the person involved — including yourself. Unforgiveness is one of the key things that keeps a soul tie spiritually active. This is not a feeling — it is a decision made by an act of the will, followed by asking Jesus to help your emotions align with that decision over time.
Renounce the Soul Tie by Name
In ministry we speak directly — renouncing the ungodly soul tie by name in the authority of Jesus Christ. This is a spiritual act of severance. We declare the bond broken, the connection severed, and the person released from any ongoing spiritual claim over your life.
Command Any Spiritual Oppression to Leave
Where a soul tie has a demonic component — particularly in cases of sexual sin, occult involvement, or severe abuse — there may be spiritual oppression attached to the tie that must also be addressed. Breaking soul ties at this level requires ministry that addresses both the wound and the spiritual dimension together.
Ask Jesus to Restore What Was Lost
Every ungodly soul tie takes something from you — a piece of your identity, your peace, your sense of self. After breaking the tie, we ask Jesus to restore what was taken and to fill every empty place with His presence, His truth, and His love. This is where breaking soul ties becomes not just freedom from, but freedom into — Joel 2:25 (NKJV).
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
That is the promise behind breaking soul ties — not just managing the connection but severing it completely, so that you are truly free. To understand what a full inner healing session looks like, visit our What Is Inner Healing? page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breaking Soul Ties
Is breaking soul ties a biblical concept?
Yes. The Bible describes the soul being knit to another person in 1 Samuel 18:1, and warns against sexual unions that form ungodly bonds in 1 Corinthians 6:16. While the term "soul tie" is not used in Scripture, the spiritual reality it describes is thoroughly biblical. Breaking ungodly bonds through the authority of Jesus Christ is consistent with the full counsel of God's Word.
Can I break soul ties on my own or do I need ministry?
Some soul ties can be broken through personal prayer, confession, and forgiveness. However, deeply rooted ties — especially those formed through abuse, sexual trauma, or occult involvement — often require guided ministry. The reason is that these ties have both a wound component and a spiritual component that are difficult to fully address alone. Ministry provides the guided, Spirit-led process needed for complete severance.
How do I know when a soul tie has been fully broken?
Common signs include: the person no longer occupies your thoughts compulsively, you feel emotionally free when you think about them, the pull to return to the relationship is gone, and you sense a lightness or peace in your spirit that was not there before. Some people experience immediate breakthrough; others walk through a process over time as healing deepens.
Can soul ties form in online relationships?
Yes. Soul ties are not limited by physical proximity. Any relationship involving deep emotional vulnerability, sexual content, or spiritual influence — including online relationships — can form a soul tie that needs breaking. The spiritual realm is not governed by geography.
It Is Time to Break Free
Breaking soul ties is not something you have to figure out alone. At Restored To Grace we walk people through this process every week — online, confidentially, and in the presence of Jesus Christ. If you are ready to be truly free, book your session today.
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