Tattoos, Piercings, & Body Modifications

As disciples we want to continuously be led by the Holy Spirit. This means putting every thought, desire, and emotion we get through the Holy Spirit filter - does the Holy Spirit like it or does he convict us (give us a bad feeling about it). If He convicts us, we reject it. We also need to know what the Word says. The Word tells us what pleases the Holy Spirit.

Now let’s try to figure out if tattoos, piercings, and body modification pleases God or not...

PART 1 - General Scripture

Apart from being told specifically what God thinks of tattoos, piercings, and body modifications, let’s look at the general idea of changing the body that God has given us.

Genesis 5:1

This is the book of the generations of Adam: In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

God created us to resemble Him. If we are being led by the Holy Spirit, we must consider what the Holy Spirit thinks about us marking up the body that God gave us. If we listened to the Holy Spirit closely, do you think He would be happy or do you think He would be grieved?

The world will make one believe that tattoos, piercings, and body modifications are OK, even good. After all, it’s one’s own body so one can do what they want with it, right?

Romans 12:1

Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

If you are a disciple, you know your body isn’t your own, it’s God’s. You are supposed to present it in a way that is pleasing to Him, not pleasing to yourself.

PART 2 - Self will or God’s will?

It is very cool nowadays to get a tattoo. It’s not just a guy thing anymore either. It seems as though the ladies are getting them as often or even more so than the guys.

Piercings are very common too. Even multiple piercings in the ears, eyebrows, lips, nose, naval, and other parts of the body are common.

Other body modifications are becoming more popular too. Breast implants are common. Enlarged pierced earlobes don’t hardly draw a second look anymore. Do we need to talk about gender reassignment surgery?

If we are being drawn to getting a tattoo, piercing, or body modification we should try to figure out why. Is it because we’re trying to express something, show a cause, do it in memory of someone, or to match our true sexual identity? If this is what we think, we should take a closer look. Are we maybe feeding a demonic addiction, fetish, or perversion? Are we possibly trying to fit in, show off, or be cool? Bottom line...are we striving to please the world or God? Lets not get caught up in the current culture or latest fad, but rather lets be grounded in the Word.

James 4:4

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever purposes to be a friend of the world is put down as a hostile one to God.

Salvation requires us to be led by the Holy Spirit. This can only happen by putting God’s will over our own. The Holy Spirit and the world are at war for your mind. Which do you choose to follow?

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

Someone may justify their tattoo because it’s scripture or a scripture reference. They might think it glorifies God. This just doesn’t make sense. This is like praying over a twinkie and asking God to “bless it to our body.” Why would He bless the twinkie to our body if He doesn’t want us to eat it in the first place?

PART 3 - Specific Scripture

Leviticus 19:28

And you shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead; and you shall not put on yourself any etched mark; I am Jehovah.

God didn’t want the Israelites to mark or cut themselves like the nations they fought against did. He wanted to separate His people from them. Think He still wants us to avoid tattooing and cutting ourselves to separate us from the world? Remember, God doesn’t change.

1 Timothy 2:9

So also the women to adorn themselves in respectable clothing, with modesty and sensibleness, not with plaiting, or gold, or pearls, or expensive garments, but what becomes women professing fear of God, through good works.

God isn’t pleased with pearl earrings, gold bracelets, or expensive clothes. He’s pleased when we have a healthy fear of Him and when we do things that are good in His eyes.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not of yourselves? You were bought with a price; then glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are of God.

1 Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:20

Children, obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

Hey children, if your parents tell you not to get a tattoo, piercing, or other body modification...don’t. If you do, it is a sin.

PART 4 - Demonic Danger!

There is something related to tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications that most people don’t consider. Demons put pressure on us to have the work done in the first place. Once it is done, it can become a demonic doorway into our lives.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will corrupt this one; for the temple of God is holy, which you are.

If we choose to do something to our body that God considers corrupting, then we better be ready to experience His wrath. Do you think the name of a dead loved one tattooed on your body is OK for some reason? Be careful.

It is common knowledge in the world of deliverance that tattoos are an entry point for demons into our body. There are many videos and testimonies of this. What isn’t so commonly known is the same thing goes for piercings. Yes, even one piercing in each ear.

Frank Hammond was a minister with a lot of experience with casting out demons. He told a story of a woman who was suffering from Bell’s Palsy (paralysis in the face). It wasn’t until she removed her earrings and repented for the sins of idolatry and mutilating herself that the legal right the demon had to stay was removed. The demon then had to leave through deliverance and she was healed. Pierced ears have been associated with other problems too such as deafness, not being able to understand the Word of God, headaches, nervous disorders, acne, and problems in the female organs. Go here https://youtu.be/v8a11YA-pPE at 41:40 to hear him speak about this.

If pierced ears can cause demonic problems, other forms of body modifications obviously can too. But what if you have it done and later realize your mistake. Is it too late?

PART 5 - Deal With It Like A Disciple

No, it’s not too late! We deal with tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications like any other sin. Repent, kick the demons out, and follow the Holy Spirit’s lead until we die.

Come to a conclusion that getting a tattoo, piercing, or body modification is a sin. It’s against God’s will.
Repent. Tell God you’re sorry - this must be genuine and from the heart. You must truly want to do God’s will and feel sorry and frustrated that you went against His will. Be sure to include idolatry and self-mutilation among the things you repent for.
Repent for your ancestors who may have sinned similarly. Ask God to bless them. Break any related generational curses.
Order all demons associated with tattoos, piercings, body modifications, idolatry, self-mutilation, and the like, out. As long as your repentance is genuine and you’re allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you from now on, you don’t have to worry about the demons coming back into you.
If you’re having difficulty getting the demons out, keep digging! Be vigilant! You’ll find their source of strength, whether it be sin or some other legal right to stay in you. When you find and remove that source, deliverance will work.
Be led by the Holy Spirit until you die.

Note: If you’ve had gender reassignment surgery, you can still be set free and forgiven by God. Deliverance may first be needed to remove the demons that caused the gender confusion in the first place. Once those demons are gone and you can now clearly see your mistake, you’ll be able to repent from the heart. The rest of the demons can then be kicked out and you’ll be able to be led by the Holy Spirit. You can still be a disciple!