Get rid of idols for He is a jealous God

The first commandment is to get rid of idols and have no other gods besides the Lord. What does this mean? This means we must remove the other gods from our hearts and from our homes. One of the first things new Christians did in the time of Jesus was to do spiritual house cleaning. Have you heard of it? It was to go through one’s home to destroy and get rid of idols and idolatrous items.

“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:3-5)

“Also many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they added up the prices of the books and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.” (Acts 19:18-19)

If you find any such items in your home, ask for God’s forgiveness and then get rid of them. These items should not be given to other people or sold, even if they are made from precious materials. These items should be trashed or burned. If the idols or idolatrous items are given to other people, then you may entice them to sin. Get rid of idols so that no one would use them for worship again.

Bible verses regarding Idolatry

“What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:19-20)

Bible - My Loving God

God wants to bless you, but if He sees you praying to Him in your house full of idols, He will not fully bless you. In fact, if the most basic commandment is not being followed, how can we pray to God and expect His blessing?

Furthermore, it is true that these items serve as portals to evil influences and spiritual attacks (1 Corinthians 10:19-22 and Deuteronomy 32:16-17). Having these items also creates an atmosphere in the home conducive to sin.

The following verses from the Bible talk about how God takes these things very seriously.

“The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.” (Deuteronomy 7: 25-26)

“So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” (Genesis 35: 4-5)

“Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.” (Deuteronomy 12:3)

“And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5: 20-21)

1. Get rid of idols and gods

Gods and altars

The first step in spiritual house cleaning is to get rid of idols. This means statues or images of idols, such as gods from different cultures (e.g. Hindu gods, Buddhas, Guan-yin/Guan-gong statues, Greek/Roman gods, etc.). Also, altars or small temples in the home dedicated to them should be destroyed as well.

Saints

Any image that a person would bow down to is an idol. This includes any images of saints that people pray to. There are certain Christian sects in which praying to Mary or other saints is encouraged. However, this is not biblical. God has said that we should worship Him only. There is no one to deliver us except Jesus. None of the saints has any power to help us, and worshipping or praying to them is idolatry.

Ancestors

Likewise, ancestors cannot help or save us. The worship of ancestors is idolatry. So if you have an altar made to your ancestors, it should be destroyed.

Angels

The worship of angels is prohibited. When apostle John mistakenly bowed down to an angel, the angel said to him: “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:9). Therefore, do not have angel statues or images in the home, because “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Exodus 20:4).

Celebrities

There are modern-day idols like actors, singers, musicians, athletes, authors, artists, performers, and other celebrities who are being worshipped like gods or superhumans. Have you made idols of them? God looks at the heart. If you have put any of them on too high of a pedestal in your heart, you have a modern-day idol. Ask God to help you stop being obsessed with them, and remove the pictures on the walls, images, and statues that are related to them.

2. Get rid of idolatrous items

“Therefore through this Jacob’s iniquity will be forgiven; and this will be the full price of the pardoning of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones like pulverized chalk stones; when Asherim and incense altars will not stand.” (Isaiah 27:9)

There are items in the house that one may not worship directly, but are associated with idolatry or used as vessels in the worship of other gods. For example, Isaiah 27:9 mentions incense altars and altar stones. So such items should be trashed as well.

It is sometimes difficult to know what an item is used for. So to prevent taking home idolatrous items, do some research, or ask the seller or person who gives you the item if there is any tradition attached to it and listen to what he tells you. If he tells you that the item is connected to any god or idolatrous practices, don’t take it.

Idolatrous items include the following:

  • Vessels used for worship of other gods – These include cauldrons, incense, incense holders, saucers, cups and bowls used for worship (e.g. Asian cauldrons like the Ding).
  • Zodiac images from Western or Eastern astrology – For example, these may appear on wall decorations or calendars.
  • Crystals used in New Age related worship
  • Wooden masks – They are often promoted as decorative items but their origins are from other religions (e.g. African, Polynesian, and Native American masks have been used in religious dances or divination).
  • Wooden blocks/plaques hung outside or inside the home from Buddhist or Fengshui origin – they could have words/images of luck or Fengshui, or could be empty of any writings and designs.
  • Changing faces/ghost faces or masks – These are usually masks depicting different moods (e.g. anger, sadness, or happiness) and sometimes used in Asian opera. A lot of times they are referred to as “gui” faces, which means ghost/demonic faces that portray demons or monsters in plays.
  • Dream catcher – It is usually circular and looks like a flat net with feathers. People say it gives you good dreams, but dream catchers are associated with other gods and religious practices.
  • Voodoo dolls – These are used to curse other people and are evil. We should not curse anyone.
  • Totem poles – These can be from Native American or Polynesian religions.
  • Items that people say bring good luck (e.g. Rabbit’s foot, lucky charms, horseshoe on display, luck or get-rich-quick blessings on wall decorations, etc.) – Christians don’t believe in luck but believe in God. Luck is contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
  • Items that people say will protect you (e.g. god’s hand, god’s eye, etc.) – Christians have God to protect us, and should not rely on an object. These objects do not protect but are detestable to God.
  • Items that people say will bring you money – These might be a wall decoration or some other decoration or necklace/keychain, etc.
  • Ancestral items – Very old items that have weird markings or feathers on them are likely used for divination. If you have a doubt about whether such an item is good or not, ask God to show you.

3. Get rid of Idolatrous Practices

There are also items associated with idolatrous practices such as divination, magic, gambling, and practices from other religions or cults. These should be gotten rid of as well:

  • Books and articles promoting magic, sorcery, or cults – This includes how-to books and popular novels focusing on magic (e.g. Harry Potter series).
  • Books and articles that teach you how to worship other gods and practice other religions, or promote a disbelief in God (e.g. writings that promote and celebrate atheism) – If you need them for a special purpose, such as a school project, that’s fine. But consider getting rid of them if you no longer need them.
  • False bibles – Bibles with very bad translations (that is, translations that are heavily paraphrased and very roughly translated) have altered the original meaning of the Word. Examples of these are The Message (MSG) and The Living Bible (TLB). These heavily paraphrased “bibles” contain what the author of those books think and not what God wants to convey. “…No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20). If you need help reading the Bible, ask God for wisdom and for Him to speak to you through His word. Also, you can use good commentaries and devotions to help you. But please read the better-translated versions such as the NASB, NKJV, ESV, NIV, etc.
  • Bibles with additions – For example, bibles containing Apocrypha as part of the canon are not good. Apocrypha are a set of books, which are in addition to the 66 books of the Bible. Most Apocrypha add the following to the Bible: 1 and 2 Maccabees, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon), Baruch, Tobit, Judith, and additions to Daniel and Esther.[1] See why the Apocrypha is rejected as part of God’s word. These bibles violate God’s command to not add, remove, or change His word. “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
  • Items used in predicting the future (e.g. palm-reading devices, Tarot cards, tea-leaf reading devices, oracle-bone divination equipment, crystal balls, etc.)
  • Ouija boards – This is a popular divination game.
  • Poker/Playing cards – These have evil meanings and symbols on them (e.g. the suit of clubs symbolizes violence, suit of diamonds symbolizes greed, suit of spades means death, and suit of hearts represents lust). The pictures on the playing cards are highly symbolic and their meanings are very anti-Christian.[2]
  • Herbal/healing medicine books with religious origin – Many “herbal/healing” medicine books have a basis in other religions and have ancient superstitions about what foods to eat.
  • Yoga – This exercise has origins in Hindu religions and many yoga positions are actually worship postures (e.g. sun salutation). Such practices should be avoided and books removed from the home.
  • Taichi – This exercise has origins in Asian religions and tries to work the Qi (or Chi), which is an evil substitute for the Holy Spirit.
  • Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu, and other martial arts – Many martial arts have religious movements or work with the Qi or the force, which is unbiblical.
  • Acupuncture and acupressure – These are rooted in the Asian philosophy of the Qi, which is unbiblical.
  • Massage – Many massage practices incorporate religious practices to clear the body of toxins and clear one’s mind. Even if you simply wanted a non-religious massage, it is hard to know and control what massage practices are being done to you. Besides this, many times a massage requires the baring of the body in front of a stranger. So be wary of such books and practices.
  • Questionable music – Music with lyrics that promote sex, violence, drugs, anarchy, and other evil practices should be gotten rid of. Music associated with other religions like Buddhist meditation or New Age Movement should also be removed. Sometimes worldly instrumental music can also be problematic. For example, does the beat of the music promote sex (e.g. club music), or does the music sound destructive (e.g. heavy metal)? Even so-called “Jesus rock” has beats that originate in witchcraft. Test the music to see whether it excites the flesh or inspire worship in God.[3]
  • Questionable entertainment – Shows and games that feature nudity, sex, extreme violence, or profanity are to be avoided. Also horror movies promote intense fear, violence, and perversion, and are incredibly destructive to the mind.
  • Pornographic and violent magazines – Obviously, these should be trashed.

4. Get rid of Displeasing Images

Images that displease God can be found in our homes through the products we buy. This step in the cleaning process may take more time and effort than the steps above. But it is worth doing, because we want to make our homes more pleasing to God. Take your time as you try to decrease the amount of anti-Christian imagery.

Anti-Christian symbolism can be found on clothing, toys, jewelry, logos, posters, stickers, labels, product packaging, etc. If the packaging is bad, throw away the packaging but keep the contents. If the item itself bears the image, throw it away or cut off the offending picture. If you need the item and cannot get the image off, you can try taping over the image so that it is not seen.

In our society with lots of anti-Christian symbolism, it is impossible to get rid of all these things and still function. So just do as much as reasonable. You can cover up some of the images and still use the products and tools as needed.

Below is a list of images that are displeasing to God and should be gotten rid of as much as possible. (It may not be a complete list. God will show you if there is anything else.)

  • Some stars on display – The five-pointed star (turned upside down) is used in the worship of the evil one. The six-pointed star is used by witches for spells.[3] Images of stars are reminiscent of angel worship and astrology, because stars can represent angels (Revelation 1:20). God detests worship of the heavenly host and prohibits the making of an image of them in the first commandment (Exodus 20:4). “And be careful not to raise your eyes to heaven and look at the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the heavenly lights, and allow yourself to be drawn away and worship them and serve them…” (Deuteronomy 4:19).
  • Pyramids and ziggurats – Egyptian Pyramids were religious tombs used for the afterlife, and ziggurats have been used to offer sacrifices to other gods. Also, pyramids and ziggurats likely represent what the tower of Babel would have looked like.[4] Images of them are a symbol of rebellion against God.
  • Peace sign – This is an upside-down broken cross and is a mockery of the cross.[5]
  • Crucifix with Christ on it[5] – Jesus rose from the dead. An empty cross represents His resurrection and overcoming death once and for all. Having a cross with Christ remaining on it could symbolize crucifying Jesus all over again: “…they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame” (Hebrews 6:6). Also, the first commandment says to not make an image of God, because “God is Spirit” (John 4:24) and “even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer” (2 Corinthians 5:16). Even though a person may think he is honoring God by having this image, he should honor God in a way that pleases Him, and not in a way that seems right to himself.
  • Ankh – It looks like a cross with a loop on the top.[5] Often worn as jewelry or appear as decoration, this is an ancient Egyptian religious symbol, and represents life or fertility given by Egyptian gods.
  • Dragons and snakes – Dragons and snakes symbolize the evil one. The Bible says: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Revelation 12:9).
  • Phoenix – The phoenix is a mythological bird that gets born again from its own ashes. It symbolizes a false resurrection and is an anti-Christian symbol.
  • Thunderbird images – These originated from Native American religions[5] and often appear on clothing, jewelry, or pottery.
  • Owls, frogs, lizards, bats, and spiders used in decoration, especially for Halloween – Images of these animals are sometimes worshipped in certain religions or associated with witchcraft.
  • Excessive number of weapons and ammunition – Do you have many guns, bullets, or swords? Rely on God to protect you and not excessive weapons. Even if society becomes more chaotic, God can still protect you. But having lots of weapons in the home signals lack of trust in God, and encourages aggressive behavior. Besides this, it is dangerous for children to be in such environments, where accidents can happen.
  • Statues of carved images, figured stones, or molten images – Carved images of animals or humans were forbidden in Israel, because they led people astray to worship them as idols. God spoke to Israel: “So be very careful yourselves, since you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, so that you do not act corruptly and make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female, a representation of any animal that is on the earth, a representation of any winged bird that flies in the sky, a representation of anything that crawls on the ground, or a representation of any fish that is in the water below the earth” (Deuteronomy 4:15-18). Also, molten images and figures made out of stones were forbidden: “…then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places” (Numbers 33:52). Even though you may not be worshipping these statues or sculptures, it is still best to not display them in your home. The reason is carved images and figured stones give honor to the image it represents, and many people in the past fell down to worship before such an image. Also the item may have come from a different culture than yours, and you may not know that it is used as an idol in that culture. If similar items are worshipped as idols by other people, you do not want such idol representations in your own home.
  • Yin-Yang symbol – This represents an eastern philosophy, often associated with Taoism, that there is darkness in light and light in darkness, and darkness and light balance each other. This is an unbiblical philosophy.
  • Arrow symbol – This is often used as a Native American emblem of protection.[5] We have God to protect us instead, and should not rely on an object.
  • Hex symbol – This is associated with witchcraft.
  • Heart symbol – This symbol is used very frequently to show love. However, it originated as a fertility symbol, and is said by some to resemble features of the female body. It also appears on playing cards, symbolizing lust. In ancient times, the symbol was used to ward off evil spirits in Japan and used in decoration on Shinto shrines and in Buddhist temples.[6]
  • Clover symbol – This is associated with good luck, which is unbiblical. It is often seen in St. Patrick’s Day decorations.
  • Spade symbol – This is similar to the ones on playing/poker cards. This symbol represents violence or death.
  • Tattoos – If you have a tattoo, please consider having it removed at a hospital or clinic. In the meantime, please consider covering up the tattoo (with clothing or bandage). Tattoos have roots in witchcraft. Even images of flowers should not be engraved on the body, because any tattoo is displeasing to God. Also, contaminated ink or dirty tattoo needles can transmit HIV and Hepatitis.[7] “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28). “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). If you already have a tattoo and will not be able to have it removed soon, please consider covering up the tattoo with clothing/bandage so that it is not on display to others. The root message of tattoos is rebellion against God. Therefore, you do not want to display that to other people, or unknowingly encourage others to also get tattoos, thinking they are cool.
  • Skulls and bones – These symbolize death.
  • Devilish images and tridents – Images of the evil one are popular even in cartoons, but are obviously detestable to God.
  • Halloween items – Pictures, costumes, and props associated with Halloween should be thrown out. Halloween promotes fear, violence, and death. It is a detestable holiday to God. The deathly images and witchcraft symbols associated with this holiday are evil. How many people do you see dress up as ghosts, witches, and devils? Even dressing up as an innocent character is not good, because you would be promoting the holiday tradition by putting on a costume. Parents should not take their children to Trick-or-Treat or celebrate this holiday in any way.
  • Cupid and other mythological characters – Cupid is a god of Greek mythology that symbolizes erotic love. Figurines and images on display of mythological characters from Greek mythology (e.g. Atlas) and other cultures should be removed from the home. Even though these are mythology today, these characters were once worshipped as gods or idols.
  • Lunar New Year and Lunar Harvest traditions – Often, the love and desire for money and wealth is openly celebrated during these holidays. Many of the decorations, red envelops, and traditions of these holidays are anti-Christian. The love of money leads to sin (1 Timothy 6:10) and is detestable to God. It is not that you should not celebrate a Lunar New Year, but if you want to celebrate, you should celebrate it in a way that does not promote the love of money.
  • Easter references to fertility – The Resurrection Day holiday has been profaned to have connections to bunnies and eggs, both symbols of fertility. All such references, stuffed animals, toys, etc. should be removed from the home. Parents should not take their children to an Easter egg hunt. Let’s keep the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection holy.
  • Profanity and implied profanity – Swear words and curse words should not be on display (e.g. on a T-shirt or bumper sticker). Even profane words, not fully spelled out or letters substituted with special characters (e.g. #, @, !, etc.), should not be on display. The reason is implied profanity may encourage people to subconsciously think of a profane word that is its substitute.
  • Bad messages/designs on clothing, stickers, or any type of display item – For example, lewd hand gestures, giant mouth/tongue images, sexy words/images, and blasphemous sayings are all anti-Christian messages. Test the message by asking, “Would this honor God or dishonor Him?”. Messages that dishonor God should not be on display, and should be cutoff, rubbed out, or thrown away. Why should you cause yourself or others to sin by advertising these messages?

“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep His covenant with you and His faithfulness which He swore to your forefathers. And He will love you, bless you… And the Lord will remove from you all sickness…” (Deuteronomy 7: 12,13,15)

Things belonging to another person

Obviously, we should not go to another person’s home and start spiritually cleansing his house without his consent. Needless to say, things belonging to the public should not be removed as you have no authority to do so. Only handle items belonging to you.

You may handle items belonging to another person if that person gives you permission. And do not condemn another person concerning the things he has, but ask God for wisdom in these situations to show respect and love. If he is a Christian, gently let him know about this matter. If he is a non-Christian, it is recommended not to talk about this subject with him, because he needs to know Jesus first. Let him accept Christ first, as everything else is secondary.

Sometimes, other people live with us who are unwilling to throw things away. In this case, pray for God to show them the truth so that they would understand. Pray for wisdom in each situation to keep the peace. In the meantime, ask God to bind the power of evil influences.

If any item belongs to a child, you need to take authority as a parent/guardian. Let the child know that these things are displeasing to God, and should not be brought into the home. Then remove the items for the child even if he is unwilling.[8]

Ask God

After you have started to cleanse your home, sometimes you might be tempted to think that everything in your home is evil. This is not true and it’s dangerous to think this way. Ask God to give you guidance on what to throw away, and He will guide you. You should not rashly throw away things. When you do all these things, have faith in God to protect and help you. He will show you what needs to go and what can stay.

Unfortunately, our world is flooded with images that displease God. And it is impossible to get rid of every little thing and still function in this world. So do not go overboard with this. If you are using a magnifying glass because an image is too small to see, you are definitely going to far.

God does not want you to spend your time taking off tiny little designs from logos. He does not want you to become like a Pharisee, who counted small cummin seeds (Matthew 23:23). Jesus accused Pharisees of “straining out gnats and swallowing camels” (Matthew 23:24), which means they focused on small details and neglected more important responsibilities. As God called Noah “blameless among the people of his time” (Genesis 6:9), so you can also be righteous in your time by doing these things without making the cleaning an obsession.

Do not be Afraid

As we live in this world, we are exposed to many of these items that God dislikes. Do not be afraid of these items if you happen to come upon them. God dictates what happens to you, not the enemy. It is God who protects you. So do not be afraid of any of these items. Trust God. Since He protects you, no one can come against you.

“You are not to be terrified of them, because the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.” (Deuteronomy 7:21)

“If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31)

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Cleansing Our Hearts

“Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.'” (1 Corinthians 10:7)

God does not look simply at the external things, but He looks at the internal state of our hearts. Do you place anyone or anything above God in your heart? Do you have an obsession for a favorite activity that takes priority above everything else? Do you live for pleasure as the ancient Israelites did, when they “sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play” (1 Corinthians 10:7)?

If so, it is a form of idolatry. Ask God to forgive you, and help you place Him first in your heart and worship Him only.

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:14)

[1] Matt Slick. (2009, October 13). Reasons why the Apocrypha does not belong in the Bible. Retrieved from https://carm.org/roman-catholicism/reasons-why-the-apocrypha-does-not-belong-in-the-bible/

[2] Carlson, J.D. Should Christian people play cards? Retrieved from https://www.eaec.org/bibleanswers/playing_cards.htm

[3] Betty Miller with Janice Fritch. (2014, March 12). What the Bible Says about Spiritually Cleansing Your Home. Retrieved from https://bibleresources.org/spiritually-cleansing-home/

[4] Answers in Genesis. (2008, March 18). What did the Tower look like? https://answersingenesis.org/tower-of-babel/what-did-the-tower-look-like/

[5] Miller, What the Bible Says about Spiritually Cleansing Your Home.

[6] The Editors of Wikipedia. (2022, June 3). Heart symbol. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_symbol

[7] Betty Miller. (2012, January 28). What the Bible says about Tattoos. Retrieved from https://bibleresources.org/tattoos/

[8] Miller, What the Bible Says about Spiritually Cleansing Your Home.