Did You Sell Your Soul to the Devil? 21 Signs & How to Get It Back

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An in-depth guide to finding out if you’ve “made a deal with the Devil”

Co-authored by Bailey Cho

Last Updated: November 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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What does it mean to “sell your soul?”

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Signs You’ve Sold Your Soul

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How to Get Your Soul Back

You may have heard stories about selling your soul, but what does that entail and how do you know if you’ve done it in reality? Selling your soul means you’re okay with doing something immoral to achieve fame, wealth, or success—even if it comes at the cost of hurting others. In this article, we’ll walk you through the most popular signs that you’ve sold your soul and “made a deal with the Devil,” plus provide tips on how you can get it back.

Things You Should Know

If you’ve sold your soul, it means you’re willing to do something bad to gain money, power, or success.
Common signs you’ve sold your soul include: being selfish, compromising your core values, taking advantage of others, feeling guilty all the time, and having no purpose in life.
To regain your soul, take accountability for your actions and make amends with the people you’ve hurt. If you’re religious, repent and ask God for forgiveness.

Section 1 of 3:

What does it mean to “sell your soul?”

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Selling your soul is a metaphor for betraying your core beliefs. In other words, you’re willing to do something bad or immoral for money, power, or success.^{[1]
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Research source} This could look like stepping on others to advance in your career or spreading lies about someone to make yourself look better. But, there are so many more signs you’ve sold your soul, which we’ve outlined below.
- Biblically, “selling your soul” means you’ve given into sinful temptations, or chosen to worship the Devil.

Section 2 of 3:

Signs You’ve Sold Your Soul

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One of the biggest signs that you’ve sold your soul is if you only care about yourself. You’re willing to prioritize your minor needs above the significant needs of others, without caring about who you hurt in the process.^{[2]
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If you've given up on your core principles in life—like honesty and integrity, it means you’ve sold your soul. Whether you stepped on other people's toes or threw them under the bus to get ahead in your career, you know that something isn’t right (but you’re too busy reaping the benefits at the expense of someone else).
When you sell your soul, you usually let other people’s opinions guide your decisions. You might be okay with feeling miserable and empty on the inside, as long as you look perfect and fulfilled on the outside. It’s a clear sign that you want to be deemed as “cool” and “successful” by society, even if it’s damaging your mental health in the long run.
Taking advantage of others for your own personal gain is a clear sign that you’ve sold your soul. This could look like criticizing someone so they give in to your demands, gaslighting them to make them question themself, or manipulating them with flattery to play on their need for approval.^{[3]
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When you hurt someone or take advantage of them, guilt is a perfectly normal response—it means you’re aware that you’ve done something wrong.^{[4]
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Research source} Feeling guilty is especially common if you’ve sold your soul because all the riches in the world can’t offset the immoral means you took to get them.
Do you always “accidentally” forget to tell someone important details that could help them out, or ask other people to leave that person out of the loop? One of the most common signs that you’ve sold your soul is if you purposely harm others for your own advantage—you can’t risk anyone else outperforming you or becoming more successful.
If you constantly force people to do things that they don’t feel comfortable with or that could potentially harm them, you might be selling your soul. This is another common way to sabotage others and make yourself look better, especially if you encourage them to do drugs or other illegal activities.
Frequently fail to keep promises or go back on your word the second it becomes a hassle for you? This could be a sign that you’ve sold your soul, and you may get a reputation as a liar or someone who can’t be trusted.
When you’ve sold your soul, you’re surrounded by wealth and prestige, but it usually comes at the cost of feeling empty inside. Your life might look amazing on paper, but since you’ve stepped on others to get where you are, you lack the deep and meaningful relationships that would bring you true joy and happiness.
Another top sign that you’ve sold your soul is if you genuinely think you’re more worthy or deserving of good things than other people. If someone has less money than you or doesn’t have anything “valuable” to offer you, there’s no reason to interact with them (in your mind).
You know that you’ve sold your soul if you get a glimmer of excitement from seeing other people suffer. Since you’re uninterested in hearing about their successes, you love to watch them fall apart, pry into their business, and share their shortcomings with others.
If you’ve sold your soul, you’re probably highly materialistic, only caring about your appearance and social status. You might purchase designer goods and other items that can make you look more attractive and successful—even if you can’t afford this type of lifestyle in the long run!
Do you claim to be a “good person” but then stab people in the back? Have you found yourself participating in activities that you’ve been vehemently against your entire life? Being fake or having double-standards is a sign of hypocritical behavior, as well as a sign that you’ve sold your soul. It shows that you’re willing to do anything to please the “right” people (aka those who can help you level up in life).
When you sell your soul, you usually believe that the whole world revolves around you, and that you “deserve” everything that you ask for. Because of this, you’re insistent on doing what’s best for you, without listening to anyone else’s input, guidance, or warnings.
A common sign that you’ve sold your soul is if you believe that someone has to “lose” in order for you to “win.” This is also referred to as a scarcity mindset, or a belief that there are limited resources available to you if other people have something you want. ^{[5]
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Sex, money, and power are the hallmark signs of Satan, so if you spend all your time chasing this “trinity of satisfaction,” it’s clear that you’ve sold your soul. These vices may put a band-aid on your pain and shortcomings, but it won’t help you accomplish the necessary inner work to be at peace.
Are you willing to do anything for attention or clout? This means you don’t care about how your actions affect others, and that you’ve sold your soul. It’s just one of the sacrifices people think they have to make for a taste of fame, and it shows they don’t have any respect for others or themselves.
If something doesn’t go your way, do you tend to place the blame on others? This may be a sign that you’ve sold your soul because you’re hurting people on purpose. You might be embarrassed or ashamed by your behavior, but it’s easier to deflect than admit you’re in the wrong.
Sometimes, people who sell their souls adopt a negative thinking mindset because they know they’ve done bad things to get ahead in life. While they might be satisfied with their short-term gains, the overriding guilt and paranoia is more likely to affect them in the long run.
People who have sold their soul tend to seek revenge, even for minor or petty “wrongdoings” against them. Whether it’s going after the stranger who cut them off while driving or the barista who messed up their drink order, someone who’s sold their soul always needs to be “right” or get the final word.
If you’re willing to put your future at risk for the sake of something superficial or unimportant in the grand scheme of things, it’s probably a sign that you’ve sold your soul. There are few things that are more important than your health, safety, and freedom, and fame, wealth, and power are not on that list.

Section 3 of 3:

How to Get Your Soul Back

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Take accountability for your actions. Regaining your soul requires reflecting on your behavior and making amends with those you’ve hurt in the past. Instead of blaming others or victimizing yourself, think of how you could have handled things differently, own up to your mistakes, and express your remorse in a genuine way.
- To properly apologize, use “I” statements to keep the focus on your behavior. For instance, you could say, “I’m sorry for taking credit for your work. I feel terrible for hurting you, and I wish I could take it back.” instead of “I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t left your computer open.”
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Practice meditation and mindfulness. This is an effective way to cultivate your intuition, which is the language of the soul. Just sit in a comfortable position, straighten your spine, close your eyes, and take several deep breaths. Whether it’s 10 minutes in the morning or evening, meditating can help you get in touch with your authentic self and activate your soul.
- To be more mindful, listen carefully to others, be aware of your actions, and do everything with a purpose. Let go of your judgments, fears, regrets, expectations, and negative emotions.
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Seek spiritual growth and enlightenment. Try spiritual practices like writing down your emotions, attending workshops and reading books on soul retrieval, disconnecting from electronics, and spending more time outside. By growing spiritually, you’ll feel a sense of peace, clarity, and fulfillment that can guide you back to your soul.
- Alternatively, take yoga classes, practice deep breathing exercises, meet up with like-minded individuals, or travel to expand your mind.
Sometimes, the best way to find and heal your soul is to turn to a professional for advice. They might be able to approach your issue from a psychological perspective, provide useful resources, and even guide you into a hypnotic state so you can regain your soul.
To be at peace again, be humble before the Lord and admit that you’ve made mistakes. Acknowledge the error of your actions and show remorse, then ask Him directly for forgiveness. Ensure that you don’t repeat the same mistakes, and feel the weight of shame get lifted from your shoulders!