Should
Christians participate in Halloween?
he October 31st holiday that we today know as
Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with
worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that
generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the
light of Jesus
Christ, The Truth.
Have you noticed how costumes and masks are getting
generally more bloody, gory, and depraved each year? Unfortunately, the
gruesome and grotesque and the occult are increasingly glorified in
American society, not only on Halloween, but throughout the year in
horror movies and in television programs.
My family does not celebrate it or participate in it.
We do not believe that our children are “missing out,” and neither do
they. Other days are used for costumes and parties. Happily, all of our
children have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal
Savior.
We have found that Halloween provides an excellent time to remind our
children that, as Christians, we are different, and not of this world (Heb.
11:13-16;
1 Pet.
2:11).
What about church “Harvest Festivals” held on October
31? Although we understand the rational and good intentions behind them,
we don't think they are the best approach. Our family tends to agree
with the author of an article called "
Are 'Harvest Parties' for Christians?"
(written by a self-avowed former witch and now active Christian).
Harvest parties on October 31 tend to assume that "our children need
something to take the place of Halloween, since they won't be
participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our
kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them
to spend Halloween in celebration." There are better things to do on
Halloween than partying.
Also, we need to teach our children that "the fight
isn't against
occultists, non-Christians, Christians who feel differently than we
about Halloween, or institutions that promote Halloween, but" "against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places"
(Ephesians
6:12, NKJV).
Scriptures that relate to
the issue of Halloween and Christians:
Jeremiah 10:2 "Thus saith the LORD,
Learn not the way of the heathen"
2Corinthians 6:17 "Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you"
1John 2:15 "Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him "
1Corinthians 10:21 "Ye cannot drink
the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers
of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils."
1
Thessalonians 5:21-22 ("Test everything. Hold on to
the good. Avoid every kind of evil.")
James
1:27 ("keep oneself from being polluted by the
world")
3 John
1:11 ("do not imitate what is evil")
Romans 12:9
("abhor
what is evil. Cling to what is good.")
Deuteronomy
18:9-14 (do not learn to imitate detestable ways,
including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft)
Ephesians
5:11-12 ("Have nothing to do with the fruitless
deeds of darkness" / "live as children of light")
1 Timothy 4:1
(don't "follow deceiving spirits and things taught by
demons")
2
Corinthians 6:14-17 ("what fellowship can light have
with darkness?")
Philippians
4:8 (think about pure, lovely, noble things)
1
Corinthians 11:1 ("follow the example of Christ")
1
Corinthians 10:31 ("whatever you do, do everything
for the glory of God")
James 4:7-8 (submit yourselves to God / resist the
devil / purify your hearts)
Ezekiel
44:23 ("…teach my people… to distinguish between the
unclean and the clean.")
Proverbs
22:6 ("train a child in the way he should go")
Matthew
18:6 ("if anyone causes one of these little ones who
believe in me to sin…")
Hosea 4:6
("My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.")
John
3:19-20 (people love darkness instead of light)
Romans
13:12 ("put aside the deeds of darkness and put on
the armor of light.")
Ephesians
6:11-18 ("take your stand against the devil's
schemes.")
Are “Harvest Parties” for Christians?
originally published in the Colorado Christian
News, October 1995
(author's name not published)
"What are you doing for Halloween?" Ask a Christian
parent this question, and be prepared to hear an answer like, "Nothing!
We don't celebrate Halloween." Thunder crashes, and you creep away,
embarassed for even asking.
"What are you doing ON Halloween?" Ask the same
parent this slightly altered question, and their whole manner and
response brightens. “Why,” they begin, as birds begin to sing and
sunshine breaks through the cumulus clouds. "We're all going to the
Harvest Party at church!" A choir sings. A trumpet sounds. You feel
privileged just knowing these saints.
Let's take a look at the typical Harvest Party.
Certainly, nothing to get concerned about, right? The
problem, however, lies in the billing. The Harvest Party is usually
referred to as the Christian alternative to traditional Halloween
hijinx. Alternative, however, implies substitute. It assumes our
children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won't
be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our
kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them
to spend Halloween in celebration.
If we are to train our children to be soldiers in the
army of Christ, why would we sign a pass for them to go on leave when
the battle is escalating on the front lines?
As a child of four, I contacted the first of many
spirit guides (read:
demons)
while playing with a Kindergarten classmates' ouija board at a
chaperoned Halloween party. This spiritual assault ignited an intrigue
with the supernatural that culminated in my lifestyle as a practicing
witch: divination, necromancy, channeling, astrology, psychic ability,
and spell working. It wasn't until I was twenty that I met the real
Jesus Christ,
and was released from the trap that
Satan
had set for this young prisoner of war sixteen years earlier.
There are too many casualities on Halloween and far
too few troops fighing the enemy. Instead of partying on Halloween,
teach your children how to fight. Keep them aware that the fight isn't
against
occultists, non-Christians, Christians who feel differently than we
about Halloween, or institutions that promote Halloween, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers or darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians
6:12).
How do we teach our children to wrestle spiritually?
-
Discourage them from participating in traditional
Halloween activities (2
Timothy 2:4). Then tell them why.
-
Encourage them to pray on a regular, daily basis
(Ephesians 6:18). Let them know first hand the power that we have in
prayer. All Christians should know how to fight on their knees.
-
Remind them to be alert and self-controlled (1
Corinthians 16:13;
1
Thessalonians 5:6). Give them the discipline of knowing it is
their responsibility to keep watch. They, themselves, might also
become casualties in the war.
-
Make certain they are prepared for battle (Ephesians
6:11). Do they know the truth? Stand on the Word of God? Have
faith? Know the
gospel?
Are they righteous? Are they saved?…
Instead of celebrating, what's a Christian to do on
Satan's feast day? PRAY! Intercession and spiritual warfare should be
the first item on our agenda. It is NOT a last resort!
-
Join with other families in the church. Have the
pastor announce a night of spiritual battle. Organize a group of
Christians parents and students from your children's school or
homeschool group. As a family, designate the seven nights before
October 31 as Family Prayer Outreach nights.
-
Pray for protection. Pray over both those who
engage in prayer warfare and over those who will be out
trick-or-treating or at Halloween parties. October 31 is a prime
recruiting time for witches and Satanists…and a time for interested
kids to experiment. Pray that the Lord keeps our kids from falling
prey to those who worship the enemy.
-
Pray for discernment. Let the Holy Spirit direct
you to specific prayer requests. Pray that the children who are “out
there” will somehow “know” to keep away from certain activities. I
have relatives who, even though they were not Christians, “knew”
that ouija boards and levitation games were dangerous.
-
Pray that the Lord hinder the occult rituals. For
four years, I lived in a building which over looked a cemetery where
occult ceremonial markings were often found. ON certain occult feast
days, usually between midnight and 3am, I would look down into the
darkness and kneel at my window binding the demons that controlled
the ceremonies. I'll never know this side of heaven what effect my
prayers had. Maybe a potential sacrifice escaped. Maybe the
occultists weren't successful in summoning their demon. Maybe a new,
young recruit decided that this was not the lifestyle he thought he
wanted.
-
Pray for the salvation of the occultists. Jesus
Christ died for those whom Satan holds captive and deceived, for
those who mock Him, who deny His deity or His existence. He doesn't
want them to perish, but to come to Him calling Him Father, Lord.
Pray the veil is lifted from their eyes, the Lord allows them to see
clearly their spiritual condition and their only hope lies in Jesus
Christ. Pray also, about whether the Lord would have you take a more
active role in bringing the gospel to Satan's servants.
-
Let your children know that this is effective
warfare. They must know their prayers are heard and acted on by our
Father. Let them know they can make a difference. Come October 31,
they'll know they have a job to do.
