Christians and Halloween

How should Christians view Halloween? Is it something that is harmless or something to be avoided? To begin, we need to understand the roots of Halloween which originated from the occult and is surrounded by spiritual darkness. The origin of Halloween comes from Druidism, paganism, spiritism, divination, magic, witchcraft or Wicca, necromancy, and even Satanism. As a deliverance minister, I can say to you that these spiritual practices are all partnership with demons and many people come under the power of demons through these practices even today.

The origins of Halloween can be traced back all the way to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain – pronounced ‘sow-in’ in Gaelic language. It was originally an event that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter in Ireland. The day after, on 1 November, would mark the ancient Celts’ new year. People believed the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds was thinnest on October 31. They wore costumes to ward off evil spirits, lit bonfires, and practiced rituals to communicate with the dead. This is why Halloween has become associated with appearance of spirits, fairies and ghosts from the mythical ‘Otherworld’. Many Celts dressed their children as demons to confuse the evil spirits and marked their doors with animal blood to deter unwanted visitors. The early church responded to pagan celebrations by creating All Saints’ Day on November 1 to honor godly men and women. Yet the evening before, All Hallows’ Eve, eventually turned into what we know as Halloween. Instead of becoming more Christian, it became even more spiritually dark.

Even today, those in witchcraft and occult circles view Halloween as a sacred night. Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, once said he was glad that Christian parents let their kids “worship the devil at least one night a year.” While we don’t take his words as absolute truth of kids worshipping the devil by trick or treating, they reveal how significant Halloween is for the realm of darkness. Halloween is a holiday which also has connection to horror movies glorifying death and human mutilation. Many movie producers get ideas for movies from the occult realm. I have actually cast demons out of people who had demons enter them through viewing horror movies. Halloween also has imagery of death, symbolized by skeletons, skulls, darkness, demons, witches, and the color black. The Bible clearly instructs believers not to imitate the customs of those who practice sorcery, witchcraft, or divination which is connection to demons. God told His people in Leviticus 18:3, “Do not follow their practices.” Some things can be redeemed, others must be removed. Halloween falls into the latter.

As Christians we need to not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Romans 12:2. When we join in the same celebrations as the world, especially ones rooted in darkness, we blur the line between holy and unholy. Daniel didn’t bow to Babylon’s idols to fit in so neither should we. Many of the activities connected to Halloween simply don’t honor God. Dressing up as demons, witches, or as sexually provocative characters grieves the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in 1 John 2:15–17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. Halloween is of the world.

Halloween is not explicitly listed in scripture and today Halloween is almost exclusively an American secular holiday, but many who celebrate have no concept of its religious origins or dark pagan heritage. That's not to say Halloween has disconnected from its spiritual roots or has become more wholesome. Many Christians have children who dress up in cute costumes, wander the neighborhood in search of candy, and tell each other scary ghost stories; but adults often engage in shameful acts of drunkenness, occult practices, and debauchery. Many Christian parents do not want their children to miss out on participating in Halloween and what is considered normal in the world which is understandable. This is where many Christian parents are in regard to Halloween so be understanding of them.

Many Christians do not have maturity of understanding of the spiritual world and may still be coming out of the world. Many Christians are still in the process of learning and may not feel there is anything wrong with participating in Halloween. We should not judge them for their participation of Halloween as long as they are not engaging in sinful practices such as drunkenness, sexual immorality, occult practices, etc. Romans 14 shows that we are not to judge other believers on conscience issues for how they observe a day. Many Christians eventually come to a place where they feel participation in Halloween is not a good thing and choose to not observe it in any manner as they grow in the things of God. You can also help people by sharing the truth about Halloween to help them gain understanding of it as many are ignorant of its spiritual connection to the realm of darkness.

Finally, how should we as Christians celebrate Halloween? When you understand its origins, its meaning, and the spiritual influence behind it, it becomes clear that Halloween does not belong in the life of a believer. Now, just as any day, it is a day to honor God and go into the world and make disciples. People need to hear the truth about the good news of Jesus Christ and get saved from their sins. As Christians we need to "be fishers of men" and go into the world to catch the fish (people) and then get them cleaned up which includes healing, deliverance, discipleship, etc. Many times people need deliverance from demonic spirits which keep them connected to Halloween even unbeknownst to them. Use today as a day to demonstrate the love of God with people who are lost. Do not let Halloween be a day where you become a stumbling block to others because of a judgmental attitude as people don't know what they don't know regarding Halloween.

In Christ,

Pastor Rafe Ronning

Truth & Freedom Church meets Friday nights 6:30pm

3300 University Ave SE

Mpls, MN 55414

www.truthandfreedomchurch.com