Why I Don’t Do Halloween

Here I go again – possibly raining on people’s parade. But as before, I feel compelled to stand for something in which I believe strongly – and for something to which God has opened my eyes.

I was out with my son at a fast-food restaurant earlier this week. The place was decorated with leering pumpkins, spider webs, and ghoulish faces. After a few minutes of sitting amongst all of this, Noah looked at me and said, “I can’t wait until Halloween is over.”

Remember, this comes from a thirteen-year old. But he, like me, is genuinely fearful of this season. It wasn’t always this way for us. I grew up enjoying Halloween, thinking it was about the candy and not much else. Early on, my kids enjoyed it as well. But about four years ago, our eyes were suddenly opened in a remarkable way to the evil associated with this holiday (see a previous post). I don’t care what others may think – it is not harmless, and it is not all in good fun. It’s a dabbling in evil.

Our society makes fun of death at this time of year – but God tells us, “All who hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:36), and that God’s real desire is that “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Death was not God’s plan, and it should not be toyed with or taken lightly. Rather, death is the result of sin (Romans 5:12).

We see people dressed as witches and demons. Does it bother us? It bothers me greatly. From Ephesians 6:12 – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Is it harmless? Consider this – King Saul was put to death by God because he dabbled in spiritual hypocrisy by visiting the witch of Endor (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Of all the wrong things that Saul did in his life, it was this event that was mentioned on his “tombstone” in Chronicles. Do we think that playing at witchcraft or related topics are just good fun? We should think again. God has made his position on this clear.

I know – it may seem crazy that some of us see this holiday as evil. It would be easy to view it as simply dressing up in a fun costume, or to say that it invokes a spirit of generosity when neighbors hand out candy to kids. But I think there is a deeper theme running on this subject. Is this world completely separated from the spirit world – where we can play with “spiritual” activities in isolation? Again, consult the verse above from Ephesians 6:12. If our struggle – in this life – is against the powers of the dark world, then that means it is here and now. The spiritual world crosses over into our existence today. A big part of the spirit world is evil and belongs to Satan. Is it such a stretch to think that Satan might be using this holiday as a tool to tempt parents and children into believing that we can make light of death and witchcraft and demons? I beg others to consider this.

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)

As always, I write these things not to offend or point a finger of blame. During my college years, I did some things at Halloween that those who know me would not believe. I’m not proud of that. But God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, has led me to this point. Consider carefully your ways.

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In the same vein, here’s a good post I was led to – “While you are trick or treating, a child will be sacrificed”

What Halloween Means To Me

I used to enjoy dressing up as a kid and going out on Halloween to get candy. For me, this was really all the holiday was about – having others admire a good costume, and having something to munch on for a few weeks.

When I grew older, I had to switch to the role of standing at the door and doling out sweets to others. It seemed like a just reward for all the candy I received when I was younger. But something was different as the years went on – I grew more and more uncomfortable with the costumes that were on display, especially anything that had to do with the world of ghosts, goblins, demons and zombies. The feeling gnawed at me more and more over time.

In recent years, our family (all of us, our children included) have discussed this and we all began to have deep convictions about the Halloween tradition. From our viewpoint, it seems overly casual to dress up as Satan or something resembling a creature from hell. After all, as a family we talk constantly about the spiritual battle that rages around us – Ephesians 6:12 – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The apostle Paul is warning us that these very forces that we dread and fight in Satan and his servants are here, in this very world with us, fighting against God’s plan. To deny that Satan is attempting to work his plan in our own physical world is to deny what the Scriptures tell us. Satan doesn’t simply exist in some other ethereal plane, awaiting the arrival of stray souls. Like it or not, he is here.

In the same way, I get a feeling of coldness when I pass the business of a palm reader or psychic. We pass one of these on our way to church every Sunday – a prominent sign on the road advertises that you can get started for a mere $5 consultation fee. It reminds me of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28, when he visits the witch at Endor and asks to consult with the dead prophet Samuel. Saul’s life has been heading downhill quickly by this point, but his consultation with the witch appears to be the final straw. Samuel is raised up to speak to him and predicts that Saul and his sons will be dead by the next day. The kingdom of Israel will be taken from his hands and given to David. The army of Israel will be given over to the Philistines. God has had enough.

It concerns me greatly that the thing that tipped the scales of finality for Saul was his dabbling in the spirit world. Indeed, his fall is discussed later in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death…” The Bible warns of treating the spirit world lightly (Exodus 22:18, 2 Kings 23:24, Galatians 5:19-20). Our culture smiles and plays along with the “fun” that is Halloween. But I wonder who smiles more over some of the costumes and inferences – God or Satan? I fear that God is not pleased with the lightness with which we treat the spirit world.

Those who argue against this thinking say that children don’t know and don’t intentionally represent the spirit world with their costumes, and so it is okay to let them dress up as such. They don’t wittingly know what they are doing. But it is interesting that some costumes are largely off-limits – such as Hitler or the BTK killer. No one is dressing up their children as these characters, because they instinctively know that these things are not to be treated lightly. But Hitler was just a pawn – while Satan is the king of lies. Why treat him as something lesser? No, I think it is exactly Satan’s desire that we unwittingly honor him on this holiday.

And so, our family has decided not to participate in Halloween in any form or fashion. We don’t dress up. We don’t watch horror movies. And, after much thought, we don’t turn on our porch light and pass out candy to others. One of my Christian neighbors opens up their garage to provide a warm, non-Halloween-themed atmosphere – where they give out hot chocolate and encourage others to just sit and talk. I like that. I need to find a similar tradition where our family can be a light to those who need it – without giving in to the satanic influences that abound. Any ideas out there?