Halloween and Christians

This year, I prayed a lot about how we “celebrate” Halloween in my family. I had listened to a lot of viewpoints from people I respect. And they varied from “it’s just fun, no big deal” to “it’s a time of outreach” to “it’s the devil’s holiday and we must not take any part in it.”

What was I to do or think?

A little background first: These past several years, I’ve delved deeper into God’s word and sought to understand deeper spiritual truths and principles. I wanted more than the Christian-looking life I felt like I was living since I became a believer in 1993. I wanted a heart that was after God’s own heart, and wanted to hear the voice of my Lord, and most importantly, follow Him wherever He led me.

As a result, I decided last year I wanted nothing to do with Halloween. No trick or treating, no decorations, no giving out candy.

I do believe it is a “high holiday” for the Satanic and the occult so I wanted nothing to do with it. I figured better safe than sorry. No judgment on people who do take part, it’s not a salvation issue, it’s a personal decision.

I told my kids we’d have a special dinner and movie, and maybe I can do a candy bar for them. But, they weren’t impressed.

They were sad about missing the “fun” but were willing to do whatever I decided.

As this October approached, I still didn’t have clarity, or how much was too much. I still felt like I was following rules without a heart conviction (which, in my book, is just religion), and was missing God’s heart in this.

Even up to the day before Halloween, I was trying to figure out a way to handle Halloween without my kids feeling like they missed out on fun.

As it often happens with God, he waits until the 11th hour, or less, to answer our prayers. In my case, it was afterwards that I realized He was leading me all along without telling me beforehand.

I’ve learned that He likes doing that…it builds and reveals our faith.

Before I tell you what we did, I want to share with you what He said to me when later that night, I asked what His stance was on Halloween.

He said “Take back for the Kingdom what the enemy has stolen. Celebrate me everyday, in everything. Take back fun for the children. Have nothing to do with evil or the appearance of evil. But celebrate, honor, glorify me. I don’t need a Christian veneer over a pagan holiday. I need you to love others the way I love them.”

He doesn’t want us to be afraid or avoid the enemy’s territory, but to boldly go in with the power of God’s love, and claiming what belongs to Him: the children.

And fun. God wants us to have fun.

So, all of October, God had put on my heart to walk around my neighborhood and pray for the children, for the families, and pray for their protection against the enemy. I blessed them and declared that they belonged to God and that the power of the enemy was null and void in this place.

On Halloween, I got a bunch of candy for my kids and decided to do a scavenger hunt for them around the house. As I was driving home, I got the idea to give them each 20 seconds to hunt for candy whenever they made a basketball shot. They loved it.

Turns out, my 7 year old son doesn’t even like to dress up in costumes or go trick or treating. He hates the creepy Halloween stuff. He just likes the candy. And my teen daughter preferred giving out candy over knocking on doors and asking for candy.

I also bought candy to give to trick or treaters and we prayed for every child that came to our home for candy. Not out loud in front of them (that would really scare them!).

We prayed for them beforehand and in our hearts. I did a final prayer walk around the neighborhood that night, blessing all the people who were out.  

At the end of the night, after a quiet time with the Lord, I knew we had done good. I didn’t run away from the works of the devil as if it was some germ infested carcas that I was not to touch or look upon. Again, that’s just religious rules.

I did what Jesus was called to do on this earth: destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8).

Through prayer. 

Through God’s love for every child, man and woman and his desire to bless and deliver them.

Through faith that I am who He says I am, and I have been given the power and authority to take power over all the power of the enemy, and destroy the works of devil. (Luke 10:19)

“Take back for the Kingdom what the enemy has stolen. Celebrate me everyday, in everything. Take back fun for the children. Have nothing to do with evil or the appearance of evil. But celebrate, honor, glorify me. I don’t need a Christian veneer over a pagan holiday. I need you to love others the way I love them.” – God