Leviticus 19: 28: Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
The practice of tattooing the body has proliferated greatly in the twenty-first century. However, this is not a new thing, for it has been around since ancient times and was widely performed by the heathen nations. But God forbade Israel to copy those nations in the marking and scarification of their bodies, for they were to be a holy nation unto the LORD, and were not to pollute their flesh with all kinds of symbolic linework.
The only mark that Israel was to carry in their flesh was that of circumcision, to show that they were a chosen people separated from all the nations to the service of God. This mark of circumcision was actually a blood covenant, because the process of cutting off the male foreskin would result in blood being spilled, and would be a token sign in the flesh that the male Israelite was in covenant fellowship with God (Genesis 17: 10 – 11: This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.).
One might say that Jesus has a name written on His thigh in Revelation 19: 16, or that the Father’s name is written in the foreheads of the 144,000 Jews in Revelation 14: 1; but this has no connection at all to the marking of the flesh, for it is symbolic language that speaks of Christ’s name being in the DNA of His loins (thigh is a euphemism for loins), and to the 144,000 Jews having the true knowledge or revelation of Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
But what the many do not realize when they visit the tattoo parlors or other outlets to have their bodies marked in ink, is that they are making a blood covenant with the Devil as the needle punches through their skin and blood is spilled. The artwork is indeed impressive and may have great sentimental value to the bearer, but that in no ways changes the fact that they have opened themselves up to spiritual influences of satanic origin in doing so.
God hates the marking of the flesh for a very good reason, for it is a visible token sign that the wearer has disregarded God and His Word and put themselves in league with the wrong spirits. Tattooing of the body is largely done in ignorance, for the wearer often has no clue what God has said about it. However it still does not alter God’s law as to what it represents, regardless of how innocent and harmless some of the artwork may appear.
One may ask, “What about those people who come to Christ after having such work performed on their bodies?” Well, the blood of Jesus Christ is there to null and void the covenant formerly made with Satan. The best option is always to have such things removed; however, if it cannot be done (for reasons such as expense or extensivity of the work etcetera), the grace of God covers for that too. When the heart is set right with God, then the former misuse of the body ceases to be an open gateway for devils anymore.