Benign Holiday or Celebration of Evil?
How people react to Halloween varies greatly. Some view it as a fun holiday and mock those who think otherwise. Yet others avoid Halloween, treating it with caution and even trepidation.
As followers of Jesus, this is an important issue for us to determine.
We must discern what is best so that we will be pure and blameless before Jesus (Philippians 1:9-10). Is Halloween pure? Not at all. If we embrace it, will we stand blameless before our Savior? Doubtful.
I’ve known people who can perceive activity in the spiritual realm. Not one of them had anything positive to say about Halloween.
They see it as a day of evil, orchestrated by the devil. They make great effort to isolate themselves from his influence on them and their lives—especially on October 31, which they see as the most dangerous day of the year.
To them Halloween is a celebration of evil. They avoid it.
Though I can’t see into the spiritual realm, I know it’s inhabited by both good and evil spirits (Ephesians 6:12). I want to embrace what is good and avoid what is evil—in both this world and the supernatural realm.
Indeed, Halloween increasingly embraces the dark side. It promotes evil: witches, goblins, and ghosts. It celebrates death: cemeteries, skeletons, and blood. Making it even worse, it moved from a one-day event into a-month long extravaganza.
Here are some ideas of how to react to Halloween:
Proceed With Caution
Strive to adopt a positive perspective for Halloween. This means choosing encouraging costumes that don’t promote death, wickedness, or negativity.
Perhaps you decide not to pass out candy. Or you could seek to put a positive twist on the distribution of sweets. Maybe even offer a silent prayer of protection and safety as you dole out the treats to each trick-or-treater.
Be careful before you go to a Halloween party or allow your children to attend one. When in doubt, stay home.
Above all, explain to your children—and anyone else open to listen—the negative elements of Halloween and how you want to react to Halloween in a positive, God honoring way.
Offer Alternatives
Instead of trick-or-treating or going to Halloween parties, can you offer a faith friendly alternative?
Maybe throw a non-Halloween party. No costumes, just come as you are. Avoid spooky music and dark environments. Replace it with happy songs in a well-lit room. Play fun games with positive outcomes.
Celebrate God’s goodness and shun the enemy’s darkness.
Avoid Halloween
An extreme reaction to Halloween, the simplest—and perhaps best—solution is to not participate in Halloween at all. Ignore it completely. Don’t dress up. Don’t go trick-or-treating. Don’t pass out candy, and don’t go to parties.
Instead, think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable (Philippians 4:8). Halloween accomplishes none of that.
Final Considerations
In determining how to react to Halloween, we are best to embrace Paul’s teaching to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil (Romans 16:19).
We are not to let evil overcome us. Instead we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
In all this, we can take great comfort knowing that God is greater than the evil one (1 John 4:4). Through him, we are on the winning side.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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