Superstitions are unbiblical and rooted in falsehood and idolatry, and true freedom comes only from rejecting them and trusting fully in God through Christ.
Concepts such as Friday the Thirteenth, walking under ladders, and stepping on cracks in the pavement can all make us feel superstitious. Many of us grow up believing in these old wives’ tales just because that is what we have always been told. As we grow older, we keep these old wives’ tales with us, and it can cause us to become superstitious into our adult years. Even though being superstitious is common today, we have to ask ourselves, is it biblical?
What Does the Bible Say About Superstitions?
As a child, I grew up with a lot of superstitions. My mother was highly superstitious to the point that she had my sisters and I tie tassels around door knobs throughout the house because she had read somewhere that it would help one get more work. As a woman who was always trying to make ends meet, it is understandable that my mother resorted to such measures; however, it does not mean it was biblical. Superstitions suggest that objects (such as tassels) have magical powers or magical properties.
While the Bible does not explicitly talk about superstitions, it does talk about old wives’ tales as well as the matter of the occult and idolatry. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly” (1 Timothy 4:7). As Paul says in this passage, we are to have nothing to do with old wives’ tales. Paul says these myths and old wives’ tales are “godless.” With this in mind, we can see nothing godly about following after or believing in myths or old wives’ tales.
Instead, we need to train ourselves to be godly. Being godly means that we do not believe in or place any value in myths and old wives’ tales, which means we should not believe in superstitions. Superstitions are made up—they are not real. Let's look at what the Bible says. It tells us that if we place anything above God or see it as more important than God, then we are practicing idolatry (Leviticus 19:4). Idolatry is a sin, and it is not something we should practice as Christians.
Instead, we need to follow after God and worship Him alone. The Lord is the one who is in control of all things. Those who cling to superstitions are turning away from God, who has love for them (Jonah 2:8). Idols and superstitions go hand in hand because we are placing an unhealthy obsession on an object or an action that doesn’t mean anything. For example, Friday the Thirteenth is a hugely superstitious holiday. Many people think bad things will happen on this day; however, if we look at things from a realistic perspective, we can see that something bad can happen on any day, just not on Friday the Thirteenth.
Is There Any Truth to Superstitions?
Since we have now concluded that the Bible says being superstitious is wrong and a form of idolatry, we can now answer whether superstitions have any truth. The answer is no. As stated, the Bible tells us that we should stay away from myths and old wives’ tales because they are ungodly. There is no truth to anything that goes against God. Even though many of us were raised in superstitious families, it does not mean we must continue the practice for the rest of our lives.
Walking underneath a ladder, breaking a mirror, or having a black cat pass you won’t cause you to have a certain number of years of bad luck. Instead, it means you walked under a ladder, broke a mirror, or a black cat passed you. There are no deeper meanings to any of these scenarios. They are just events that happen, but there is nothing to fear when one of these things happens to you. Try to distance yourself from thinking by superstitions, and with time, they will not control you.
I broke a mirror when I was a child, and I remember my family saying I would have seven years of bad luck. Despite seven years having passed, I still don’t have the best of luck, but that isn’t because I broke a mirror when I was a little kid. Instead, it just means I live in a fallen world where bad things happen. Whether I broke the mirror or not, my life would have been the same. There is no truth behind superstitions. The only goal of superstitions is to get your mind off God and His power.
How Can I Approach the Situation Biblically?
No artifact or item has more power than God. This establishes that in order to approach this situation biblically, we cannot live in accordance with superstitions. Superstitious ideologies are not biblical. They are not correct, and they are not something we should adhere to as Christians. Superstitions are false, and there is no truth behind them. As believers, we need to reject falsehood and embrace the truth.
The truth is only found in Jesus. Jesus tells us He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). As the Lord tells us, He is the Truth. Anything that contradicts what Jesus says is untrue and not biblical. Therefore, to approach the situation biblically, we must reject and let go of everything that connects us with superstitions. As mentioned earlier, I grew up in a highly superstitious family; however, I do not believe in these ideologies any longer. Once I became a believer, I understood there was no truth to these old wives’ tales, nor are they biblical to believe.
If we live by superstitions, we will be living in idolatry. As believers, we need to turn away from idolatry, which means turning away from superstitions. Objects and artifacts do not contain special powers, nor do certain behaviors cause good luck or bad luck. All of these things were made up over time to instill fear into the hearts of humankind. At these times, we must remember that God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
If you have believed in superstitions in the past, it is time to let go of this false belief system. You will not suffer a certain number of years of bad luck if you turn away from superstitions. Instead, you will have true freedom by turning to Jesus instead of superstitions. There is true freedom in Christ. You will no longer have to fear bad luck for doing certain things. None of these things is true. Superstitions create fears that will hinder your life.
Your life in Christ is so much more than believing falsehoods. Stepping on a crack in the pavement, walking under a ladder, or being passed by a black cat will not give you bad luck or make you miserable. However, if you continue to live a life of superstitions, it will make your life miserable. Choose to follow after Jesus today and to reject your old ways of the past. There is no freedom in superstitions, but true and lasting freedom in Christ.
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