No Luck, All God: Exposing the Spirit Behind Superstition - Part 1

Zaressa Richardson
Jan 5
5 min read

Breaking generational agreements with false beliefs and reclaiming the truth of God’s Word.

Monthly Scripture Theme: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” — Hosea 4:6

Week 1: Inherited Lies, The Spirit of Superstition

Happy 2026! God has brought us into a brand-new year. How amazing is that? Glory to the one true King, Jesus!

Welcome to a new series here at The Fine Print where we’re exposing the lies behind superstition.

What exactly is superstition?

Where did it come from?

And most importantly, what does the Bible have to say about it?

I remember growing up being told to eat black-eyed peas for good luck and collard greens for financial blessing in the new year. I also remember being warned not to break a mirror because that meant seven years of bad luck. I remember trying to count how old I’d be when that “bad luck” would finally be over after I accidentally broke one.

But thank You, Jesus, for deliverance! The truth has set me free. I am no longer bound by those lies.

The Bible says in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” That is exactly why I want to talk about this. I am completely free from all that foolishness, and now I want to help someone else break free too by exposing the lies the enemy has tried to disguise as tradition.

Can you relate to any of this?

Have you ever heard sayings like these?

“Knock on wood.”

“Don’t open that umbrella inside.”

“Eat black-eyed peas for good luck.”

They’re phrases passed down from parents and grandparents, woven into family traditions that feel harmless, maybe even comforting. But what if those very traditions are tied to something spiritual that God never authored?

So many of us repeat things we’ve been taught without ever questioning them, not realizing that familiarity doesn’t equal truth.

In this first week of our “No Luck, All God” series, we’re peeling back the layers to uncover what’s really behind superstition and why it’s so much more than “just folklore.”

Let’s unpack the fine print and see how what we don’t know can truly hurt us.

Prefer to listen instead?

🎧 You can catch this week’s message on the podcast.

The Hidden Origin: Idolatry in Disguise

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 2:6, “They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines.”

For context, Isaiah was speaking to Judah during a time when the nation looked religious on the outside but was far from God on the inside. In today’s language, they looked like believers, but their integrity told another story.

“Superstitions from the East” refers to customs, omens, and mystical practices from nations like Assyria and Babylon. Instead of relying on God’s Word, the people adopted spiritual practices from cultures that worshiped idols.

God was addressing His people for blending truth with deception. Superstition was one of those influences.

Superstition did not begin as something harmless. It began as rituals of worship to false gods, rooted in fear and control. People offered sacrifices to spirits of the dead, forces of nature, and fate itself.

When people stopped trusting God, they started trusting everything else. That misplaced trust is the heart of idolatry.

Even today, superstition hides behind words like habit, tradition, and culture, but at its core it carries a spirit of fear that pulls us away from faith.

The Generational Thread: What We Inherit Matters

Many of us did not choose superstition. We inherited it. It was handed down with love, wrapped in sayings, repeated so often it started to sound like wisdom. But just because something has lived in the family for generations does not mean it came from God.

In Jeremiah 10:2, the Lord says, “Do not learn the ways of the nations.”He was warning His people that every custom carries a spirit behind it.

When we repeat traditions without knowing their origin, we give power to what God meant to break. Some traditions were never meant to continue. They may have started culturally, but spiritually they became open doors for confusion and fear.

Every time we “knock on wood,” throw salt, or say “good luck,” we step into agreement with fear, not faith.

The beautiful thing is this. Once truth comes, we have the power through the Holy Spirit to stop the cycle. We can be the generation that chooses faith over fear and truth over tradition.

The Spirit Behind It:

Fear, Not Faith

Superstition looks innocent, but it feeds on fear.Fear builds control. Faith builds trust.

Superstition teaches us to depend on rituals instead of relationship. It whispers that safety is in our actions, not in our God.

Every superstition carries this message: “I don’t fully trust God to protect me.”

That is why superstition is spiritually dangerous. It shifts dependence from God to self.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear.”So where did it come from? Not from Him.

Fear says

“If I don’t do this, something bad will happen.”

“I can’t cross the street after a black cat.”

“Wish me luck.”

“I need to knock on wood.”

Faith says“I choose to trust God.”

Jesus came to destroy every false belief that tries to keep us bound. The Holy Spirit leads us into truth and peace.

When fear tries to disguise itself as wisdom, remember this:

Wisdom comes from God. Fear tries to take His place.

The Spiritual Truth: Knowledge Sets Us Free

God says in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”Ignorance is not innocence.Ignorance is expensive.

God gives us time to repent, but His grace is not permission to say, “It’s not that deep.”It is that deep.

The enemy is watching for open doors.Words matter. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

Heaven honors words. The enemy uses wrong words as legal access until truth breaks the agreement.

Superstition keeps people bound because it hides behind comfort. It sounds normal. It feels familiar. But it never asks, “Is this what God said?”

But when knowledge comes, light follows. Truth exposes darkness.Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Learning truth brings freedom.Walking in truth brings transformation.

The Holy Spirit convicts us not to shame us but to lead us out of bondage and into understanding.

A CALL TO ACTION

Now that we know the truth, it is time to act. No more being passive with a defeated foe.

Let God renew your mind. Let Him uproot every lie. Renounce every agreement you made knowingly or unknowingly. It is time to be free.

Superstition is not harmless. It is a seed planted by fear. God wants to replace it with faith.

Jesus said in John 8:36, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Pay attention to your words. Pay attention to what you agree with. God has given you authority to close every open door through repentance.

You are not bound by superstition, luck, or fear.You are covered by grace, truth, and divine authority.

Let this be the year you say, “No more.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for opening my eyes to the truth. I repent for every agreement I have made with fear, superstition, or false belief. I renounce every word that gave the enemy access. I close every door and choose to walk in truth.

Lord, I trust You as my protector and provider. I break every generational agreement that opposes Your Word. Fill me with wisdom and revelation. Renew my mind. Expose every hidden lie.

From this day forward, I will walk by faith and not fear. Thank You for freedom, restoration, and new beginnings.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ready to go deeper

Explore free courses designed to help you study the Word and grow in truth inside The Fine Print Academy.

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Next week: “The Fear Factor: How Fear Masquerades as Wisdom.”

Until then, walk in light, not luck.