At the end of October every year, the debate about Halloween arises. Some say it is innocent fun for the kids whereas others point to the evil themes behind the day. Should Christians celebrate this day? Below, we provide three reasons why Christians should not celebrate it.
1) God did not give us the Spirit of Fear.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
With haunted houses and costumes, the celebration of Halloween promotes the spirit of fear. God did not give us that Spirit (2 Tim. 1:7). There is nothing innocent about teaching children to accept the spirit of fear or to be used by that spirit for one season of the year. As Christians, we walk by faith in our loving Father and not by fear of the enemy.
2) It does not glorify God in any way.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31).
As Christians, our entire lives should be lived to glorify and honor God. There is nothing about Halloween or its practices which gives glory to God. Instead, it brings attention to darkness.
3) Christians are instructed to avoid the appearance of evil.
“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thess. 5:22).
Many of the themes and decorations of Halloween reflect witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, murder, and a host of other sinful practices. These evils are condemned throughout the Bible and should not be imitated or celebrated (Deut. 18:10). Moreover, parties with drunkenness and drug use are common among with these celebrations, and Christians should not participate in them (Romans 13:13, Gal. 5:20-21, I Peter 4:3).
4) We are instructed that light and darkness cannot have fellowship.
“14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God…” (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).
Halloween exalts the practices connected with darkness and the worship of satan. Christians celebrate light, life, and those observances connected to the redeeming work of God through Christ. We are never instructed to exalt the works of darkness or fellowship with the deeds of darkness.
Paul wrote: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). We are supposed to expose darkness, not have fellowship with it.
5) We should not conform to the world.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
When we look at our practices as Christians, we have to ask ourselves this question: Did my belief, idea, or practice come from the WORD or the WORLD?
As Christians, we are called to be holy or set apart from the world around us (2 Timothy 1:9, I Peter 1:15). We should avoid conforming to behavior that causes us to look more like the rest of the world around us. We cannot stand out if we look like everyone else.
6) We are not supposed to worship God in the way that others worship other gods.
“Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods” (Deut. 12:31).
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
As Christians, a self-sacrificial life is our reasonable service or worship. How we live reflects worship. Our worship of God is supposed to be pure, not mixed with symbols and practices which glorify other gods.
7) We are supposed to cast out spirits, not invite them into our homes.
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:15).
“Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27).
The celebration of Halloween often involves inviting and welcoming to symbols, costumes, music, movies, and other things which invite interaction with unclean spirits. Satan goes about seeking who he may devour (I Peter 5:8). Jesus gives us authority to drive out spirits, not to allow them into our lives. We are not supposed to give the devil any place in our lives, no matter how well intentioned we may be.
Christ is our example (I Corinthians 11:1). He never embraced the works of darkness during His earthly ministry; He condemned the darkness that the lost embrace (John 3:16-21). Christ came to destroy the work of the devil, not glorify it (1 John 3:8). He redeemed us from darkness. Consider the following Scriptures:
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…” (Ephesians 5:8).
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9).
If Christians look like the world around us, then we are not being the light of the world. We can either lift up Jesus or misrepresent Him by how we live. Let’s maintain the Godly witness of Christ on earth—His Bride. Let’s destroy the works of satan by abstaining from the celebration and glorification of those things that belong to the kingdom of darkness.
God bless!
Kelly McDonald, Jr.
Scripture References taken from the King James Version (KJV).