It never ceases to amaze me the length of worldliness that professing Christians will linger in all for the sake of “want to”.  I don’t want my children to “miss out”.  I don’t want to look “weird”.  I don’t want to….fill in the blanks.  With tears in my eyes and a heavy heart I ask, plead, and beg with those who call themselves Christ-like and ask, “What does your Lord want?”

This month the world celebrates Halloween.  Why, if over 80% of Americans are “Christian” are we celebrating this “holiday”?  Why is Halloween the second most decorated “holiday” in our country?  There are three reasons.  The first is the most obvious and that is that the 80% of professing Christians are mostly unsaved.  Can I judge their salvation?  NO, but they can and better before it’s too late.  I can however, look at the fruits of their lives and a so called apple tree that produces figs is not an apple tree no matter how much it claims to be one.

The second reason that Christians are celebrating Halloween is that they do not know the truth.  You see, like most people when my first child was born I went along with the flow of the tide.  When Halloween came around I found a costume for my baby like everyone else did and took him to get candy.  No harm in that!  No bothered conscience.  But the second year, I remember taking him to the mall on Halloween.  The absolute evil and oppression present was astonishing.  It was then that I questioned why I was doing this.  I started my research and I started in the place that all Christian people should  –  the Bible.  It didn’t take long to know the will of God in this matter.  The question came of what was I going to do with this knowledge? 

Which brings us to the third reason Christian people celebrate Halloween.  They know the truth and do not care.  Did you know that a person can justify anything?  They can read in scripture to abhor evil and to abstain from even the appearance of evil and yet somehow justify in their mind and heart that what they are doing is not evil.  Unfortunately, the average person’s mind is full of the world (Mark 4:18-19) and their heart is deceitfully wicked (Jer. 17:9).  But amazingly, we will trust our hearts and minds over the very Words of God.  A person will read in scripture that we are to be separate from the world but yet they will justify in their hearts their love for the things of this world.  Did you know that we are called to be the light of the world?  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Do you know why a city on a hill cannot be hid?  It is because the light is separated.  A person wondering around with the masses trying to shine their lighted jack-o-lanterns with the rest of the world will not give off much light, but take a person who is called out, a peculiar person, a holy person, a chosen person (I Peter 2:9) and set this person up on a hill for all the world to see.

As professing Christians, we teach our children that every word, every action and every deed should be done for the glory of God.  Every means every.  Celebrating (observe, show happiness, mark an occasion) Halloween can in no way bring glory to God.  When a person tells me that they will use this evil day to witness to the world my question for them is, “Are you witnessing for the Lord on all the other days?  Do you hand out tracts and talk to people about their salvation the other 364 days?”  A person trying to get another person saved while participating in Halloween is equivalent to a doctor taking his dying heart patient to Krispy Kreme Donuts to discuss the importance of eating healthy foods.  The message would be looked at in disgust.  This might explain why the world looks at the message of the church in utter disdain.

So, my question to professing Christians who celebrate this “holiday” is why?  Are you truly a child of God, do you just not care about God’s Word, or have you never searched out the truth?   I pray for and pity those who live in darkness, may God has mercy on them.  And, for those who truly want to know the truth and who are willing to search out God’s will I encourage them to open the Word of God.  Open His precious Word, not with intents to trample on it but in a humble spirit.  For in reality, God’s ways to a true believer are not grievous. His ways are light, His ways are worthy, His ways are above all others.

(For those who are searching out the truth, the following article was what Dana used in youth ministry when addressing this issue.)

Halloween – Can it be an entirely innocent practice?

What is the origin of Halloween?

It is generally agreed that in the church history Halloween took the place of a special day celebrated by the ancient Druids who was the priestly class of the Celtic religion. Our modern Halloween appears to initially be traced to their winter festival on October 31. The Celts and their Druid priest began their New Year on November 1, which marked the beginning of winter. They apparently believed that on October 31 the Lord of Death gathered the souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter into the bodies of animals. Thus they believed that on their New Years Eve (October 31) ghost, evil spirits and some say witches roamed about. On this night evil or frustrated ghost were also supposed to play tricks on humans.

Some things to consider:

-Halloween is the most sacred day of witchcraft and other occults.

-It remains a special day for Satanists. It was and is believed by Satanists to be the only day of the year in which the devil’s help could be invoked for a variety of things.

-Human sacrifice was and is offered on this day.

– It has and will continue to encourage occult activity on the part of children and adults. It is common for children to pull out an Ouija board and attempt to contact the ghost and spirits that are believed to be roaming about. But Ouija boards are anything but an innocent pastime.

– It helps support pagan philosophies and practices by encouraging people’s interest in things like ghost.

– Probably no Halloween activity or symbol can be found that does not go back to pagan occultism. For example: Jack-O-Lantern – This comes from a legend of a drunk man named Jack who tricked the devil into agreeing to never come after his soul. As Jack is leaving hell the devil throws a hot piece of coal at Jack. So Jack wanders the earth carrying the coal in a pumpkin. Halloween costumes – Halloween was a night where evil spirits roamed freely and played tricks on the living. So it was to the advantage of people to hide from them or scare them away by wearing costumes. Trick or Treat – This is related to the idea that ghost and witches created mischief on this night. For example, if the living did not provide food (or “treats“) for the spirits than they would “trick” them. When a child goes door to door in the ritual of “trick or treat” he is re-enacting the ancient superstition.

– It can unequally yoke Christians and pagans together. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness and unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part that he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

– Christians participating in Halloween may be a ploy of the devil to mock God. How does God feel when He looks down on Halloween night (in full awareness of the events that have happened on this night) and views Christian children dressed up as ghosts, devils, witches, and goblins? Or, even innocent characters but going out on the very night that Satan is most honored. Satan, of course, knows the meanings of all of these symbols and so does God.

– The Bible has many references condemning the practices of witchcraft, sorcery, spiritism, contacting the dead and so forth.

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. “ Deuteronomy 19:10-11

“..Also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and delt with a familiar spirit and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.” 2 Chronicles 33:6

Is it possible to glorify God by imitating what occultists do on their special day, however innocently? Historically, this is the very day that evil powers have chosen above all others. Most people think that imitating these things on Halloween is innocent enough since they are not engaging in the original practices or intents. But, what does the Bible say?

“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. he that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” 3 John 11

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.” Ephesians 5:1-3

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. “ Ephesians 5:8-11

“When thou are come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.” Deuteronomy 18:9

“..Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Romans 12:9

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22