What’s Wrong with Halloween?" Eph 5:11-17 - Deut 18:9-12
Many Christians will allow and even encourage their children to pay respect to the devil on October 31 WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING IT! As far as retail sales go, Halloween is second only to Christmas. This year a conservative estimate is that Americans will spend $3 billion on Halloween items and activities. As much as $1.8 billion of this $3 billion goes to buy candy, and $1 billion is spent on costumes. All the other decorations and things make up the other hundreds of millions of dollars. The average household will spend an average of $81 a piece on Halloween. Most of this is spent on candy and decorations. I heard that up to $50 a house will be spent on decorations alone.
The question many Christians ask, "What’s wrong with Halloween?" We will find answers to that today from the Word of God. What do you think about when you hear the word "Halloween" Most of us reminiscence about our own childhood memories of this very celebrated holiday. You say, "I did it as a kid and it was fun", Besides, I don’t let my kids dress in scary costumes as little princess, superman, snow white, etc. So what’s so wrong with Halloween?
Let us look at WHY Christians should not participate or allow their children to participate in this OCCULT holiday.
This is the first reason why we shouldn't keep Halloween. It adds nothing good to our character. It's simply a waste. It's worthless.
The second reason why we need to avoid Halloween like the plague is that God Himself calls it an abomination. DT 12:29-32.
We will look at 1. The Origin of Halloween. 2. The symbols of Halloween. 3. The Occult Practices of Halloween. 4. A Christian’s View of Halloween.
Where did Halloween originate from?
1. THE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN
The custom of Halloween is traced back to the DRUID FESTIVAL OF THE DEAD, sometime around 100 A.D. It was commonly referred to as the SAMHAIN festival a Celtic celebration that focused on death. The Celts in Western Europe believed that ghosts and other spirit-beings visited on Samhain Eve, OCT 31st. They also believed that the barrier between the physical world and spirit world was at its weakest. The ancient Druids believed that Samhain "the Lord of Death" gathered souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter the bodies of animals. Good people’s souls were reincarnated as humans. The Druids would then offer sacrifices, prayers, and gifts to Samhain, attempting to lighten the punishment of the evil dead. The Druids would even pray for and to the dead in Roman temples trying to contact them through the spirit world. We get the practices of séances and now have the unscriptural teaching of purgatory in the Catholic Church. But what does the Bible say about this: Luke 16:22 this is the story of the rich man who died, looked up from hell. Look at verse 26, "they cannot pass to you". The only holding place for the unbeliever is hell and they await the Great White Thrown Judgment. Well that is the ancient side of it but what about in America? It did not come to America until the mid-1800. The little pilgrim children never learned to say ’trick or treat’ When he was a boy, George Washington never went out hunting for candy on Oct 31st and President Lincoln never dressed up as a pirate or ghost. This holiday was not nationally known until a group of immigrants from the Celtic areas of Europe brought the old customs into America. However in the 1950’s, the holiday as we know it was proclaimed a children’s holiday, a day of fun, dress-up, and candy.
2. THE SYMBOLS OF HALLOWEEN. Everyone thinks it is so cute for kids to dress-up like a ghost a frightening dead character. But where did that come from and what did it represent? The Celts hid themselves in ghoulish costumes or disguises so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and pass by without incident. What about black cats? These were considered reincarnated evil souls that had the ability to divine or "see into" the future. Jack-O-Lanterns were carved out and a candle put in to try and frighten away evil spirits from the home or they were showing sympathy and submission to the evil spirits. Bonfires came from the practice of "bonfires" which was a large fire containing bones of those that were being sacrificed to the god of Death, Samhain. Skeletons, Skulls, corpses were all part of celebrating the ritual of the dead. Bats and owls were said to have power to communicate with the dead since they were reincarnated evil spirits. Ghosts, demons, goblins were thought by the Celtics to have special freedom to travel among the living and frighten them into submission to their will. The practice of "TRICK OR TREAT" came about by giving treats to frustrated spirits of the dead so they would feel welcome and if they didn’t feel welcome, then came the so called "tricks". These are but a few of the symbols associated with this holiday
3. THE OCCULT PRACTICES OF HALLOWEEN. One of the main attractions of Halloween is the wearing of ghoulish costumes that represent death and fear. Also, we love being frightened. One of the most celebrated days for the practice of witchcraft is October 31st and is a day to be considered by most practicing witches a day of communion with the dead. I have heard of some who have participated in the unscriptural practice of summoning the dead through things like Ouija board games and séances. Many occult practices have human sacrifice ceremonies or drink the blood of sacrificed animals all done in the name of Satan. Necromancy is the delving into contacting the dead and yet look what the bible says about that in DT 18:10-12 “You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer, cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead. Whoever does these things is disgusting to the Lord. The Lord your God is forcing these nations out of your way because of their disgusting practices. All of these practices of Witchcraft, Voodoo, séances, human sacrifices, etc. are part of the occult.
4. THE CHRISTIANS VIEW OF HALLOWEEN. First we have to understand this one thing in Eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of darkness of this world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Halloween seems so harmless and yet we don’t fully understand that there is a spiritual war that is taking place and men, women, and children’s souls are what is at stake. We as Christians should not be partakers of something that derives from and represents darkness. Eph 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are.” RM 13:12 says, "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light" There is a continual battle that takes place in the supernatural world and you and I are to be on the side of God and not Satan. When we partake of the holiday Halloween, we are grieving the Spirit of God. Eph 5:11-12 says, "Have not fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even speak of those things which are done by them in secret."- Again in DT 18, the Bible forbids us to participate in or support any activity with occultic overtones and it even says in verse 12, "Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord" and detestable means to despise something. Some may say "we do this for fun" but anything that represents Satan and his domain cannot be handled "for fun". Doing so places you in forbidden and enemy territory and that is dangerous ground.
CON: We have heard a lot in this message and I hope you have let some of it sink into your heart. The Bible says in Phil 4:8 "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable or praiseworthy...think on these things". Do you think Halloween or scaring our kids senseless is very pure or praiseworthy? RM 14:19 says, “Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify one another." Deut 4:9 says, "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and their children after them.” We are going to be held accountable for our kids if allow them to participate. A Gallop poll of teenagers 13-17, 29% said they believed in witchcraft; 32% said they believed in Ghosts and more than half believed in the practice of contacting the dead. WWJD? Would He participate in a holiday that is set aside to honor Satan? Or would He want us to flee from all appearances of evil. But, you can’t go away and say, we can’t celebrate Halloween because "the preacher said so." You must choose for yourself and search it out for yourself. Joshua 24:14-15, "Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose you this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my household; we will serve the Lord.”
