Halloween, A Day To Party?

I found this little devotional in Days of Praise Issue September – November 2008. It talks of an issue that I dealt with when I was growing up. Halloween. From my earliest days (I am now 20) I have never gone “Trick or Treating” or to a church “Harvest Festival” on that day. I have never wanted to even participate in those kinds of activities. Though many of my friends thought my family strange, we stuck to our guns. My family has always held that day as just another day of the week, not a day to celebrate or give any special attention save prayer.
Henry Morris III makes a good point on this surprisingly sensitive subject throughout Christianity today.

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1Timothy 4:1

“Halloween was a corruption of “Hallowed E’en,” the evening before “All Saints Day” in which civil disobedience and sinful license were tolerated prior to the forgiveness and penance sought the next day.
Although the level of debauchery and wickedness has waxed and waned over centuries, nothing “hallowed” had ever been associated with the practice – until more recent times among evangelical churches. Now we promote a “Harvest Festival” or a “Bible Character Dress-up Night” – much of which encourages the practice of costuming and treats as a harmless alternative.
The difficulty is not with the church activities, but with the timing and the association with that which is evil. That obvious connection with a pagan holiday will undermine resolve to “come out from among them, and be ye separate” 2 Corinthians 6:17
Yes, no doubt that passage warns against an “unequal yoke” in marriage – but its primary focus is on church and individual purity! “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?”
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 states, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”

As a parent, I know the pain of restricting my children from participating in the “fun” of Halloween. And as a former, pastor, I know the pressure to accommodate the majority of church members who see no “harm” in such things. However, our allegiance and our responsibility are to the Lord, not to men. Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men””

Though Halloween has nothing to do with Christianity and should be treated with distain throughout Christendom, yet still we tend to sugar coat it and make it look like something that’s “just for fun”. But yet it is an ungodly holiday with ungodly meanings behind it. You can’t make something right or good to do when it goes against God’s word can you? Well, that’s sure what Christians are trying to do today. They are swallowing the bait that Satan has tossed out there. Just as Eve listened to the serpent in the Garden of Eden when he said, ‘“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”’. This is how he works, he asks, “is it plainly written in the Bible that you shouldn’t have a party on that day?” Or “That person is just being legalistic; there is nothing wrong in having a bit of harmless fun.” does that sound familiar?

2 Corinthians 6:17, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”
And John 15:19 states, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Throughout scripture we are to be separate from the rest of the world in every aspect of our lives. Our clothing doesn’t have to be the style of the year, the music we like shouldn’t be an abomination to God’s ears, and our convictions should be God centered, not swayed by friends, family, or what the world might think of us. As Christians we have a very hard commandment to follow, to be in the world and not of it. Whether it is what we read, how we talk, whom we hang out with, or how we conduct business, it is all to the glory of God. Everything we do must be under the law of God (the Bible), no matter what it is. If Christ wouldn’t do it then don’t do it. If Paul, John or Peter wouldn’t do it, then why do it? We might be in a different age, but the principles that God set forth in the Bible will always stay the same. In Leviticus 20:6 God states very clearly that we should have no part with “mediums and familiar spirits”. Halloween circles around those very things: witches, ghosts, fortunetellers, monsters, and the living dead.

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4

Do not be deceived into the belief that “it’s just a bit of fun” or that “because other Christians are doing it that makes it right” it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Stand fast to the word of God and His commandments and you cannot go wrong.