Trick or Treat: Is Halloween a Good Holiday?

Introduction

It's around the time of Halloween and there is a lot of debate between many believers (yes, people who are saved) with three arguments: 1) "There is nothing wrong with Halloween, it is a good time to get kids in church" 2) "While Halloween is evil, we can turn something ungodly into godly and yet, still have a good time celebrating it" 3) "Halloween is of the devil - straight and simple; no Christian ought to celebrate this wicked holiday."  These arguments amongst believers alike are going to be examined thoughout this article through the Word of God. 


The Good, the Bad, the Ugly of Halloween... Wait, There Is No Good Or Bad, It is All Ugly

It amazes me that you have people who call themselves citizens of Heaven and that they are saved and yet, think Halloween is an okay holiday to celebrate.  We will have 7/11 churches in America who promote their halloween events and encourage kids to dress up in their favorite Halloween costume and if it is the best, they will get a prize.  This month there was an invitation in the mail for my family to attend an event at a so-called church that had Baptist beliefs and the church is called "Fushion Church".  Just the name gives you shivers; but the invitation had a Frankenstein, Zombie, and Werewolf as a picture and it was an invitation to go to a Halloween event.  What kind of church is that?  It's the same type of church as a lot of professing Christians are today about Halloween.  But first - where did Halloween come from?  Did it come from Christians or did it come directly from Satan?  Is Halloween really that bad?  Here is some info from the Encyclopedia Britannica:

"It long antedates Christianity. The two chief characteristics of ancient Halloween were the lighting of bonfires and the belief that this is the one night in the year during which ghosts and witches are most likely to wander about. History shows that the main celebrations of Halloween were purely Druidical"

Halloween is traced all the way back before Christianity and it is all about a night in which ghosts and witches walk about.  Halloween is satanic at best so why in the world do Christian parents feel it is okay to send their kids on trick-or-treating?  It is either because they are blind or willingly ignorant of the fact that Halloween is evil.  The truth of the matter is that Halloween is a holiday reserved for the dead.  But what does the Bible say about this?  Mark 12:26-27 says, "And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err." God is not the God of the dead, He is only the God of the living.  Dead people are well... dead! Why in the world are people so foolish to reserve such a holiday? The Bible gives specific instruction not to regard such wickedness.  Leviticus 19:31 says, "REGARD NOT them that have familiar spirits, NEITHER SEEK AFTER wizards, to be DEFILED by them: I am the LORD your God."  This was way back in the Old Testament and there was still witchcraft garbage going on.  God commanded the Israelites NOT TO REGARD this wickedness.  We would be wise to heed to this command as well.  Levitus 20:6 gave a warning for doing so, "And THE SOUL THAT TURNETH AFTER such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people."  If Israelites were going to do this, God would have set his face against them.  Do you realize the greatness of celebrating such wicked holiday?  Harry Potter is an ungodly movie that teaches kids that magic is okay.  Yet, we see Christianity Today using it to get kids to know about God.  How in the world is THAT going to get kids understand the things of God?  At Halloween, kids dress up in their goblin, ghost, and wizard outfits.  The Bible gives us a firm command to REGARD IT NOT.  2 Chronicles 33:6 says, "And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and DEALT WITH a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, TO PROVOKE HIM TO ANGER."  Celebrating Halloween and getting involved with it provokes the Lord God to anger.  Many people think nothing about celebrating Halloween simply because they do not care.  I'm certain that some people are going to read this article and think, "This guy is a nut.  You aren't going to change my mind with a few verses."  If that is your attitude, your rebellion fits right in with the wicked celebration of Halloween.  1 Samuel 15:23 says, "For REBELLION is as the sin of WITCHCRAFT, and STUBBORNNESS is as INIQUITY AND IDOLATRY. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." People that go off and celebrate Halloween KNOWING what the Scriptures saith are being rebellious not against this article, but against what the Lord has to say.  You might say, "Well, this is the Old Testament and so it doesn't mean anything to me today." Have you forgotten that the OLD TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING?  Romans 15:4 says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning..." But, okay, have it your way.  There are plenty of verses that prove that God has nothing to do with Halloween and neither should we.  Galatians 5:19-21 says, "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." Is that enough to get your attention?  1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil."  Even if it appears to be evil, we ought to abstain from it.  But I promise you, Halloween is more than just an appearance of evil - IT IS EVIL. 

Maybe you think I'm being mean by telling you that Halloween is of the devil, but the truth is the truth and there is no middle ground in saying that Halloween is evil.  It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out.  Psalm 97:10 says, "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked."  Did you read that? "Ye that love the LORD, HATE EVIL..."  Knowing that Halloween is a wicked holiday, ought you be celebrating it?  The answer is no.  Jeremiah 10:2 says, "Thus saith the LORD, LEARN NOT THE WAY of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them." We're not even supposed to be learning the way of the heathen, let alone practice what they practice.

A Day The Lord Hath Made...

Rebellious people who read the point above would say, "I know that Halloween is an evil holiday, but can't we turn it around?"  That sounds great, but you really can't take something that is evil and make it good.  You can make it look good; but in and of itself, Halloween is still a wicked holiday and always has been and always will be.  Isaiah 5:20-23 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" Saying that Halloween can be a good thing is like saying Hitler could have been a good person.  Could have been, but wasn't.  The intentions for Halloween aren't even good.  Even the devil deceived himself as an angel of light - he looks good, but he is far from good.

Don't be in despair.  The important thing is that we as believers don't give the devil this day anymore than what he has hold onto it.  I'm sick and tired of Christians who say you aren't even allowed to use this day for the Lord because it is a pagan day.  Yes, it is a pagan holiday and I don't believe in trick-or-treating, but Halloween is a great time and day to pass out tracts and show people the evils of Halloween and a great time to use the Word of God against the wiles of the devil.  It's a great day to street preach and lead people to the Lord.  The Bible says in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." The devil has already robbed October 31 enough and it's time we as Christians wake up and realize the devil didn't create October 31, he just stole it from God.  It is time to take it back and use it for the Lord's glory.  Romans 14:6 says, "He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it..." By Christians acting as if it were hopeless to do anything on that day, we are giving the devil more room to do more damage.  Instead of doing this, we should be going out that day and getting people in church.  After all, Halloween this year is on the Lord's day as we call it or Sunday. 

I encourage each and every believer this year to not celebrate Halloween, but use the day for God's glory.  When kids go to your door at night... WAIT! You should be in church on Halloween night so it won't even be an issue.  But, if kids go to your door at a later time in the night, give them a tract to read instead of candy.  There was once a Missionary that came to my church and he gave his salvation testimony and said he got saved by a tract that was in his candy bucket he got from Halloween.  So, don't tell me you can't use this day against the devil! If it wasn't for that tract, this Missionary probably wouldn't even be a Missionary today.  People, wake up! This is the day the Lord hath made, it is a day the Lord doth deserve.


Halloween = Helloween

The latter of the three groups of believers believe rightly about Halloween and its wickedness.  I don't know about you, but I'm glad to say I'm in the last group of that three that can boldy say, "Halloween is of the devil."  This isn't being a bigot or being arrogant, it is proclaiming the truth.  No Christian ought to be celebrating this holiday.  Let me rephrase that - no Christian in their right mind is going to celebrate this holiday.  Halloween is not a holiday to be hallowed or respected.  Revelation 21:8 says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." All sorcerers are going to have their part in the lake of fire if they do not get saved.  If we are not careful, we are following the enemy here, Satan.  Satan is a father and the lord of those who do witchcraft.

What really doesn't make sense is that people would much rather worship the devil who is weaker in power than in God who has unlimited power.  Why do we have satanists, sorcerers, witchcraft, wizards, etc. in this world? Simply because the devil is doing his job.  We as Christians would be wise to do our job and live a spotless, clean life in this wicked world.  This world is not our home and so we need not get comfortable here below. 


Conclusion

Paul warned us to "awake unto righteousness and sin not".  Why did he do this? "Because some have not the knowledge of God."  Celebrating halloween is not a good testimony of the true child of God.  It gets lost people to think you are just like them.  Maybe you are just like them and never have been saved and if you would like to be, please read "How to Go to Heaven" under September posts.  Maybe you are saved and guilty of celebrating Halloween and realize that God doesn't like it.  If you would like for me to pray for you, please email me at earnestlycontending1611@gmail.com so that I can pray for you.  In closing, I'd like to say there is no "treat" to Halloween - it is all just a "trick" up the devil's sleeves.