#1026 1012 11W

            Originally Halloween was a pagan festival oriented around fire, the dead, and powers of darkness.  The Catholic Church tried to transform an ancient pagan festival into one to supposedly honor deceased saints by calling it All Saints’ Day, but they failed.  Now this ancient pagan holiday of death and demonism is inseparably tied to All Saints’ Day.

            The British church attempted to divert the interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as Samhain [the ancient Celtic name for the festival that eventually would be renamed Halloween], but the connection to the ancient pagan festival rooted in death and demonism remained.  Halloween never became a Christian celebration and what it represents today is clearly forbidden in God’s Word.

            Revelation 22:15 ”The unclean are shut out, and so are all who practice magic, all fornicators, all murderers, and those who worship idols, and every one who loves falsehood and tells lies.”

            God does not want His people to be involved with such holidays that celebrate demonism, witchcraft, and evil spirits.  God wants us to concentrate on faith & fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness [believing faith], gentleness [meekness] and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

            It is spiritually dangerous to be involved with all that is in opposition to God’s Word.  The abomination that is Halloween is all about witches, fortune-telling,  magic, frightening screams, skeletons, haunted houses, coffins, graveyards, demons, death and the underworld.  The New Testament condemns witchcraft and says that God will judge those who take part in such sinful activities. 

            Galatians 5:19-21 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

            Halloween is not a time of harmless fun, but is observing what God has forbidden in His Word.  A Bible-believing Christian should not want to be involved in occult practices, Satan worship, or anything even remotely connected with such evil activities.

            Ephesians 5:8-11 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.  Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

            Centuries ago, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the pagan custom of Halloween with them to the New World.  After massive immigration of the Irish to the United States during the potato famine in Ireland (1845-46), Halloween eventually became a national holiday.

            An encyclopedia on the holiday gives the following description of the observance: ‘Modern Halloween activities have centered on mischief-making and masquerading in costumes, often resembling underworld characters.’

            ‘Folk customs, now treated as games [such as bobbing for apples], have continued from the various divination practices of the ancient celebrants of this occasion.  Figures like the ghost, the witch, the vampire, and the pumpkin play a key role in giving an aura of mystery to the observance [whether or not they originally had any association with the festival].

            ‘Children are susceptible to the imagery of Halloween and become fascinated with carved and illuminated jack-o’-lanterns that look like demons.  In recent times, children dress up in Halloween costumes and knock on doors for a treat and jokingly threatening a trick if a treat is not given’ [unquote].

            The Bible has much to say about the strange customs and activities of such celebrations and none of it is good.  God’s Word clearly says that no one should act as a sorcerer nor should we associate ourselves with any such practice or activity.

             “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.  Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you” Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

            God would bring the severest punishment on anyone who would be so foolish as to get involved with demonism or Satanism.  "‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist [psychic] among you must be put to death.  You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads’" Leviticus 20:27.  "Do not allow a sorceress to live” Exodus 22:18.

            Halloween is not a harmless celebration but a serious abomination to God.  Halloween is anything but harmless fun.  It focuses its attention on witchcraft, demonism, and Satan worship—all of which are forbidden by Almighty God.

            The Bible says that God is a God of light, truth, and love 1 John 1:5, but Satan, “the god of this age” 2 Corinthians 4:4, is a wicked enemy of our souls and he is all of darkness, deception, and death. John 8:44, Revelation 12:9.  We are to have nothing to do with anything even remotely connected with Satan and his demons.  God does not approve of anyone wanting to be involved with the spirit world of the devil.  Satan lurks behind the Halloween mask, but one day soon God will unmask him and bring the truth to light.

            If we believe that God is offended by holidays that are conceived by Satan, (who is, and always has been, the mortal enemy of the souls of all people), then we will choose to separate ourselves from all such activities and celebrations.

            It is a choice on our part, and a promise on God’s.  "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."  "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" 2 Corinthians 6:17.

            We should turn away from any activity that is connected with the occult, the unbelieving world, and the devil.  The apostle said, “They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” 1 Thessalonians 1:9.

            A true believer in Jesus Christ should not observe Halloween.  It is a pagan holiday with ties to witchcraft, sorcery, demons, magic, the occult, and many other things that are strictly forbidden in the Bible.