The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Should Christians Participate in Halloween? (Part 3 of 3)

Should Christians Participate in Halloween?

MP3

Are there dangers to participating in Halloween?

In this “The Truth Will Set You Free” TWave Radio episode, Pastor Vic Batista of Calvary Chapel Aventura located in the Miami, Florida area and I will look at whether Christians should participate in Halloween.

Halloween Dangers

Nathan Jones: Halloween can be a dangerous time. Pastor Vic, when you speak about the dangers of Halloween, I think you are absolutely right. There are indeed dangers. I think of any of the holidays that has gotten hijacked, Halloween has gotten hijacked the worst.

Because there are dangers, our children need to understand the difference between good and evil. They need to understand that Jesus conquered evil and one day He will return and finally put an end to it on this earth. But, in the meantime, there are evil dangers out there. Now werewolves and vampires and mummies and all that goofy stuff, that’s all for fun. None of it’s true. There is a Satan, though. There are demons. They are the powers behind the politics. We really have to take the spiritual realm very seriously.

The danger lies where sometime by playing with the fun stuff like monsters, mummies and werewolves, it can kind of pull us into wanting to understand more about demons through Ouija boards and tarot cards and other occultic stuff like that. Dabbling is when you get sucked into the real occult, the satanic dark side. We’ve certainly got to protect our children from that evil.

Vic Batista: We need to educate and train our children, and also the individuals in our ministries and our churches. What happens is that many of them are not well educated biblically. They think certain things are just innocent and so they start playing around with Ouija boards and other occultic things, but that’s actually introducing demonic warfare and spiritual warfare. We really need to be careful, right?

Nathan Jones: Right. Like you said, your perspective is far better than mine because you came from a background where you saw the demonic and the voodoo behind the Dominican Republic’s version of Halloween. It’s very true that evil thinks Halloween is the best day of the year. Satanic churches hold their parties on Halloween. The paganism that goes on during Halloween is intolerable with the orgies and the drinking. Everything people engage in that will harm them and ruin a relationship with Jesus seems to happen that night.

Halloween has been so hijacked from Christianity, and we have to help our children understand the difference between what is right and good and what is evil. Some parents decide they’re not going to do anything with Halloween. They’re going to keep their children totally from it, and that’s okay, for under grace we’re are allowed to. But, if you want to take your kids out trick-or-treating, help them understand what it’s all about first. That’s okay, too, for believers in Christ are living under grace.

Vic Batista: I’ve been teaching on Ephesians 6 concerning spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 says that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against the rulers of darkness in this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. We are told to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand in that evil day and having done all to stand.

That’s part of what we do with Bible prophecy. It’s helping people recognize that we living in the last days, and therefore we are noticing that Satan is going to try to step up his attacks on the Church and on the Christians.

Nathan Jones: The closer we get to the Lord’s return, the more attacks against the Church there will be. Satan knows the signs that Jesus talked about just as much as we do. Satan’s read the Bible. Likely he’s got it memorized. He keeps insanely going on with his plans trying to overthrow God, which he can never do. But, in the meantime, Satan is going to continue to try to wear us down and to trick us and to try to pull us into distractions away from God, if you are saved. If you’re not saved, Satan is going to keep the message of God from you.

Again, it is so important that we use whatever opportunities to share Jesus Christ. I mean, really, what an opportunity! You’ve got a captured audience. You have kids coming to your house. They want candy. Churches can do outreaches as well. There are amazing opportunities with Halloween which I just celebrate and praise the Lord.

Halloween Reclaimed

Vic Batista: When talking about the hijacking of some of the other Christian holidays so that we can no longer enjoy them, it’s because we don’t understand how they’re being hijacked. Once we understand the pitfalls, we need to pull out and celebrate the blessing that we have the freedom to do so.

Nathan Jones: I think that’s why Kirk Cameron made a movie called Saving Christmas. Christmas has been so hijacked by secular commercialism that people are forgetting the day’s about worshiping the Lord anymore. Stopping our worship is not what we should do. No, we are supposed to continue to worship the Lord.

Just because it’s been hijacked by certain elements doesn’t mean we just give up the ship. I want my Christmas back! I want my Easter back! I want Halloween again! I don’t want these pagans taking them away from me and twisting them into something evil. I’m going to fight for them.

Vic Batista: What I love about Kirk Cameron in everything he’s in is that he’s got the Gospel message ready and clear to share. He puts the Gospel message in such a wonderful way that people always leave with a better understanding of Jesus Christ.

Nathan Jones: Exactly. You got me watching these old Left Behind movies again. I’ve seen the second and the third of them recently because you said I needed to rewatch them again. Afterwards, I was amazed how deep the Gospel message is in each and every one of them, including what Cameron promoted through the ministry, “The Way of the Master” all those years about how to lead someone to Christ. The methodology is right there in the movies. So, yes, Cameron is very strong about teaching the Gospel.

Vic Batista: Those movies are just so full of biblical teachings and they are so right on. Fast forward years later and you begin to see just how many more events are lining up for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Nathan Jones: Exactly! The paganizing of Christian holidays is a sign that the old is wearing out and the new is about to come. All the signs of the end times are pointing to the Lord’s soon return. But, in the meantime, we need to keep Christ at the center of our worship and outreach utilizing the days given us.

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

4 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I like the conclusion…if I got it right.

    Don't let others hijack your celebrations. Celebrate Halloween if you want but keep a Christian perspective at all times (just as you should in everything). And if you don't want to, then don't. But don't condemn others that do.

    Good advice.

  • All I could think about, reading this, was “What about Purim?”. The Jewish children dress up as Biblical characters to celebrate their freedom from the evil Haman. Why can’t we, as Christians, incorporate that instead?

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