I feel very much compelled to post one final article regarding Halloween in order to admonish and encourage those dear brethren perhaps not fully convinced of its spiritual danger. This issue seems to come up over and over in discussion amongst God's people. Prompting this posting was a visit to a local Walmart last Friday where I was shocked to see two full aisles dedicated to Halloween accoutrements with all of darkness that goes along with it all. As I went to the greeting card aisle to select a “thank you” card, I was shocked to see one entire section of Halloween holiday greeting cards. I never imagined such a thing growing up.
Take note that Halloween is the most important day of the year for Satanists, according to the late Anton LaVey the founder and “high priest” of the Church of Satan. Participation is tantamount to endorsement.
Anton LaVey himself declared that he took joy, great joy, in Christians who take part in the tradition, saying: “I am glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year. Welcome to Halloween.” LaVey’s statement is corroborated by a former Satanist who said that when you dress up even as an angel or a mermaid for Halloween you play right into Satan’s hand by association. No genuinely born-again believer can honestly declare that Halloween glorifies God in any possible way. No possible way! I have been criticized, sometimes angrily, by some brethren when I lovingly, with all longsuffering and doctrine, try to warn them about the spiritual dangers of Halloween. It is anti-Christ and dangerous to the spiritual welfare of precious little children. Participation constitutes the appearance of evil from which the believer is to abstain (I Thessalonians 5:22).
Included here is a quote from a tract identifying the origins of Halloween:
. . .Unlike many other holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, Halloween has no origins in Christianity. Halloween is unmistakably pagan in its origin, its symbols, and in the ways people celebrate it.
What Does the Bible Say?
Both the Old and New Testaments explicitly forbid God's people to become involved in witchcraft, spiritism, and the demonic. Consider these Old Testament prohibitions:
Deuteronomy 18:9-13- When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his 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. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
• Thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations [the heathen].
• There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [child sacrifice, exposing children to heathen worship, the demonic and occult].
• or that useth divination [delves into fortune-telling or occult knowledge of the future],
• or an observer of times [interprets omens or tells the future by astrology],
• or an enchanter [one who casts spells or practices the magic arts],
• or a witch [one who practices sorcery, a spiritist],
• or a charmer [one who casts spells],
• or a consulter with familiar spirits [a medium, one who consults demons or evil spirits for guidance],
• or a wizard [a spiritist, one who seeks knowledge from the unseen world],
• or a necromancer [one who calls up and consults the dead for guidance and secret knowledge].
I Chronicles 10:13- So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
The observance of Halloween with its focus on death, witches, luck, and foretelling the future, links one to the very things the Scripture forbids. At best, seemingly ‘innocent’ Halloween practices weaken one's position against the occult, and at worst, they openly invite the demonic.
The New Testament condemns witchcraft as one of the works of the flesh that God will judge.
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).
The conversion of the heathen in the Book of Acts brought conviction against heathen and occult practices. The new believers wanted nothing to do with the practices from which God had delivered them.
"And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:18-20).
How might God bless if Christians today would rid themselves of all the pagan customs of our society?
Bible-believing Christians certainly do not want to become involved in occult practices or Satan worship. Yet many professing Christians unthinkingly allow their children to dress as witches, ghosts, or even devils and take them out to trick-or-treat. How many churches hold Halloween parties or sponsor haunted houses to keep the kids out of trouble? How can Christian and pagan customs mix so freely?
Some may argue, “But we don't worship Samhain or devils at Halloween. We do not believe in witches anymore. These things do not mean what they used to. Now Halloween is just a time of harmless fun for the children.”
On the other hand, can any thoughtful Christian give a Scriptural reason for observing a holiday so steeped in paganism and witchcraft? With the modern resurgence of witchcraft and Satan worshipers who openly claim Halloween as their holiday, how can Christians observe it, even in fun?
"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).
Note: I would highly recommend God’s people research the origin and history of Halloween.
-Paul Mershon
