by Jan Reagor

Upon our arrival home from being gone for over a month, the telephone message light was flashing. "Oh," I thought, I wish we had put call forwarding on before leaving."

There were several messages from a friend, each with a panic sound in the voice. I immediately called the number, but there was no answer. Shortly after, the telephone rang, and the mother of this friend blurted out, "Jan, where have you been? We’ve been trying to get hold of you." After she learned we were on a long vacation, she said, "Jody (name changed) is in the hospital. She tried to commit suicide." Shocked, I hurried to get unpacked and go to the hospital. I found her sitting by the nurses station, on the mental health floor. As soon as she saw me, she broke into tears and almost collapsed. "Lean on me" I said, as we walked to her room.

A few months before we left on vacation, Jody started having leg aches. At times her legs would go out on her when she was walking, for no apparent reason. The doctors ran many tests, and found no documented cause. Therefore, it was deemed ‘emotional’. She was placed on pain medication and Valium. Unfortunately, she got ‘hooked’ on the medications, and could not stop taking them. She still had the pain and occasional collapsing of her legs. She got so discouraged, she decided her life was unbearable, and she would give up and take an over-dose of pain meds. Praise God her husband found her and got her to the hospital.

We prayed together, and I bound the spirits of suicide until we might have a prayer session.
A few days later she was dismissed from the hospital, and telephoned for an appointment. I remembered a client some years ago that had similar problems with her legs. I asked Jody to wear shorts to the office, so we might use blessing oil and prayers on her legs.

The day she arrived, two other prayer team members and myself were ready to pray healing for her legs. We began with praising Jesus, then prayed the prayer of protection and bound any spirits not in worship to the Trinity. We invited Jesus to be present during our healing session. Jody lay on a table, and we began applying blessed oil for healing, on her legs.

The three of us were praying for her and praying in tongues. As the blessing in the oil touched her skin, large goose bumps formed. Her body temperature dropped, as if she had a spirit of death. We prayed the death spirit of suicide leave her. She manifested a few times, and it was gone. After we put the blessed oil on the front of her legs, she turned, so we could pray over the back of her legs.

There it was! The tattoo! On her lower leg and heel was the tattoo of a dragon! "Oh, Jody, when did you get this tattoo"? I asked in bewilderment! "Shortly before my legs started hurting and going out on me" she answered. "Are you aware you are walking around with a picture of Satan on your heel?" I asked. "Satan?" she responded. Jody was not aware Satan is referred to as the ‘ol’ serpent, the dragon’, in the book of Revelations.

She also was unaware that in Leviticus 19 God forbids us to get tattoos. She got the tattoo simply because it is popular, and she felt if she got one, her friends would better accept her. The end result was her friends were confused about her leg problems, and her attempted suicide.

Why does God forbid us to get tattoos, she wondered out loud. Well, let’s talk a bit about a loving Creator that made us in His image. Perhaps His feelings are hurt, that we think a tattoo will make the body He designed look better than He made it. Also, a loving Creator will warn us because of the health issues with tattoos, such as the chance of getting Hepatitis B and HIV, and, as the Mayo Clinic lists on the internet, 21 possible diseases, plus allergies and infections.

My dermatologist tells me that many people have allergic reactions to the dye placed under the skin, especially red dye. He has found the infections and allergic reactions are difficult to treat. He uses steroids, then if necessary cuts off the colored skin and at times uses a laser in tough areas.

On the cosmetic side of the story, the tattoos fade over time, and tend to ‘migrate’, making the area unattractive. Tattoos are common in prison, even though tattooing is forbidden in prison. Tattoos provide a temporary feeling of being ‘in the world’ as others are. When a person gets out of prison, they are often recognized as an ex-prisoner because of the tattoos. Try getting a job with ‘jail-house tattoos’ all over your arms!

Jody asked, "Why does God tell us not to tattoo your body?" I believe He tells us for our good, ‘Father Knows Best’ is my motto! St Paul tells us not to be in the world, but live to please God.

Well, what happened with Jody? We prayed together, and asked God to forgive her, as Jesus did the soldiers at the crucifixion. ‘Father forgive her for she did not know the dragon represents Satan.’ Jody asked forgiveness for ignoring God’s warning in Leviticus. We made a cross of blessed oil over the tattoo, and asked Jesus to remove any evil spirit that entered through the tattoo. The spirit manifested and we sent it to the feet of Jesus Christ.

Two weeks later Jody telephoned me, and was elated. Her legs had not collapsed on her, and she is now reading scripture daily, she is attending church regularly, and is in love more than ever with Jesus. She still struggles with her addiction, but is working on conquering that, too!

In case you are interested, Jody is the third person I prayed with this year that evil spirits entered through a tattoo. A few weeks ago, while in the communion line at mass, I noticed a man just ahead of me walking with a limp. He was wearing walking shorts, so I glanced at the back of his legs. The one he limped on had a tattoo about a foot long, just above the back of the knee to the middle of his calf. I silently asked the Lord, "another one, Lord?"

I wish priests and ministers would talk at church about God’s instruction on tattoos, and the occult symbols people are unknowingly placing on their bodies. I wonder if they unknowingly, but are willingly, accepting on their bodies a type of the mark of the beast talked about in chapter 13 of Revelation?

I do not want to imply that spirits enter in with all tattoos; I don’t believe they do. But why run the risk; I’ve found honoring God’s instruction is the best way to live.

[Jan Reagor is a lay minister specializing in deliverance and will take questions here. She is the author of handbooks on home blessings and cleansing; prayers of protection available here]

[see also: spiritual warfare books]