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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



For those of you who may still be having a problem with this issue regarding Halloween, in spite of the many Scriptures I have shared with you, not to mention the dark history of the Samhain festival, allow me to ask you a few questions: Are you a part of the Kingdom of God, or are you a child of the world who follows the god of this world; that is, the Prince of the Power of the Air, who is also known as Satan and the Devil? Is it possible that you have been blinded to the truth due to the hardness -- or spiritual blindness -- of your own heart? Have you become a child of disobedience due to your own self-imposed deception? Again, please carefully consider the truth that is found in the following verses:

"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."


"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"


"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."


While the previous Scriptures are dealing more directly with faith in Jesus Christ, the lesson they share can really be applied to any Scriptural truth which we choose to ignore or resist. As I clearly pointed out in part one, Jesus and some of the other writers of the New Testament said that while we are in this world, we are most certainly not a part of it. Let me remind you again that the Apostle Paul shared this wise counsel with Timothy concerning our war of the spirit, and our need to remain separated from the world:

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."


So allow me to ask you: Are you entangled in the affairs of this life? Have you compromised your faith so much, that you have hidden your spiritual light under a bushel? Is it even possible that you have blended in so well with the world that your family and friends, and even strangers, don't recognize that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? If so -- and I don't know that it is, because we each find ourselves in different situations -- is it possible that you have sunk so low in a spiritual sense because you are ashamed of your faith, and of your Lord and Savior? Is celebrating Halloween -- or Samhain -- just one of the many things that you do in order to blend in with the world? Or do you do it just because it is fun, even though you know that it is wrong to do so? That amounts to rebellion.

As we learned in part one, if there is one thing that Jesus and the writers of the New Testament teach us, it is that we must not be ashamed of our Christian faith. Please consider the following verses:

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."


"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."


"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."


"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."


"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,"


"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."


As you can plainly see, if we are ashamed of Him, then He will likewise be ashamed of us. In contrast, if we boldly proclaim our Christian faith, and don't hide our spiritual light under a bushel, He will not be ashamed to be called our God. It is as simple as that. We either do one or the other.

In the previous verses I shared with you from the Gospel of John, in addition to saying that His followers were not a part of the world, Jesus also prayed that His Father would not take the Apostles out of the world; that is, He would not take them to be with Him through physical martyrdom, or by some other means. Rather, Jesus prayed that His Father would allow His followers to remain in the world for the time being, so that they could be a witness for Him. Let me share those verses with you one more time:

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."


"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."


I have seen a number of Christians misinterpret what Jesus said in these verses. In a word, being in the world, but not of the world, is simply no excuse for behaving just like the rest of the world. We are supposed to stand out. As children of the Lord, we are supposed to be different. As we saw in part one, the Apostle Paul wrote:

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"


We are certainly not letting our spiritual lights shine, or being blameless before the Lord, if we are celebrating the ancient, pagan Celtic festival of Samhain each year, are we?

Notice what else Jesus prayed for in the previous verses. He asked His Father to keep His followers from the evil of the world. That word "keep" is translated from the Greek "tereo", which actually means to guard, or to preserve. The Apostle Paul takes this even a step further and writes that we must also avoid the appearance of evil. In his first Epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul writes as follows:

"Abstain from all appearance of evil."


So please ask yourself this question: If you are a Christian, and if you participate in the annual Halloween celebration in any way, shape or form, are you truly being kept from evil? Are you really guarding and preserving yourself from evil? Are you avoiding the appearance of evil? Most certainly not! You are in fact going right along with the rest of the pagan world in a subtle way; even if your costume may be a little nicer and not as dark or grotesque. It is still a compromise. As I said a moment ago, it is like trying to have one foot in the Kingdom of God, while the other is planted firmly in the Devil's Dark Kingdom. You simply cannot serve two masters as Jesus plainly teaches us in the following verse:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."


As I mentioned earlier, I fully understand that we each find ourselves in different kinds of situations. We each have our own responsibilities and priorities. Not everyone is called to be a foreign missionary, or a preacher, pastor or priest. Some of us are married, while others are not. Some of us are parents of young children, while others are not. Some of us are employed at secular jobs, while others are not. However, regardless of our personal situation, there is one thing we are all required to do by the Lord. That is to avoid evil, and to not bring reproach to the Name and Cause of Christ. How does celebrating Halloween fit into this Christian code of ethics?

It should be clear to you by now that we Christians should not engage in the world any more than what is necessary for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While we must be faithful emissaries to the world of the message of God's Love and Salvation, we must also strive to remain a separate and holy people unto the Lord. This means that we must avoid engaging in worldly ways and conduct, as much as lies within us. I know; it is not an easy task; because the spirit of the world is like a toxic gas all around us, and presses in on us at every possible turn. While we can in large part control this negative spiritual onslaught within our own homes -- if we so choose -- the minute we step out the door, it is quite another story. We are immediately engulfed in the Babylonian world of sight, sounds, colors and every possible pleasure of the flesh. Of course, this is by Satan's design; for as we read in part one:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."


And then there is this as well:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"


The point is, there are already enough negative influences working against us in the world, even without us purposely engaging in certain activities which are displeasing to our Heavenly Father; such as celebrating Halloween, or Samhain. As I shared with you in part two, in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul wrote the following:

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,"


While Paul was referring to pagan idol worshippers in the previous verse, the principle still applies to Halloween; because it too is an ancient form of pagan worship which was introduced to us by the Celts -- or Irish -- with the help of the misguided Roman Catholic Church. As we have now learned, Samhain worships and glorifies -- and in fact entertains -- the forces of darkness, and the spirits of the dead; and we are not to fellowship with such things. Paul writes "touch not the unclean thing". Is there any doubt that Halloween is an unclean thing? It is even celebrated after dark. It does not glorify God -- who the Scriptures tell us is the Father of Lights -- in any way whatsoever. Following are some more verses for your personal consideration:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."


"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth . . . Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."


"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."


In his Epistle to the brethren at Rome, Paul likewise writes something which directly relates to the idea of Christians remaining separated from the world. In the second chapter of that Epistle, Paul states the following:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."


In the previous verse, the word "conformed" is derived from the Greek word "suschematizo". This word is pronounced as soos-khay-mat-id'-zo. According to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon it means to conform or to fashion one's self; that is, one's mind and one's character, to another's pattern. In other words, as I explain in other articles, what Paul is actually saying is "Don't think like the children of the world. Think different. Let God's Spirit transform and renew your mind, so that you may know what His perfect Will is for your life."

It is clear that by participating in Halloween, we are doing exactly what Paul advises us not to do. We are not thinking differently, and we are in fact conforming ourselves to the ways of the world. We are demonstrating to the people of the world that we are their friends -- please remember James 4:4 -- and that we are just like them. We are not coming out from among them -- as Paul advises us to do -- or being Christian witnesses who uphold Biblical truth. In contrast, if we have the mind of Christ, we will not do this. We will endeavor to not make ourselves the enemies of God by committing spiritual adultery with the world. In reality, this rule applies to any other secular holiday as well, because most of them are of pagan origin, or else they worship some human figure, which is likewise strictly forbidden in the Bible.

To reiterate an earlier point, trying to sanitize Halloween by dressing up in less offensive costumes which don't remind us of the festival's dark, pagan history is still a complete compromise. Even if your children don't wear such costumes, other children -- and adults -- more than likely will. Thus, nothing has really been gained. Those Christian parents who do allow their young children to wear nicer costumes, are still demonstrating their support for a heathen holiday that is steeped in pagan rites and beliefs. Therefore, I remain convinced that the most appropriate Christian response which we can give in order to demonstrate our clear disapproval of this pagan celebration, is to completely stop participating in the practice of going door-to-door in order to obtain sweets.

Before concluding this series, allow me to address one final issue. Being as Halloween will be celebrated by some people regardless of what we Christians do or say, is there any way in which we can use the event to our advantage in order to glorify God?

Actually, there is, if you feel so led of the Lord. What I suggest is that you consider preparing a stack of Salvation tracts which you can freely pass out if and when the young -- and old -- trick-or-treaters come to your doorstep. I suggest that your Gospel tracts contain an easy-to-read message that is specifically designed for the intelligence level of young children, who will more than likely comprise the majority of the trick-or-treating crowd. It would be wise to prepare your pamphlets either that same morning, or even the night before, so that you are not caught unprepared when the first crowd arrives that evening.

Regarding passing out the traditional pieces of candy along with your tracts, personally, I am opposed to this idea. As a parent myself who is greatly concerned about my child's health, I consider it a thoughtless, irresponsible, unloving act for parents and school teachers to give children piles and piles of Halloween candy which may quite possibly lead to eventual tooth decay. As I explain in other articles, the Bible informs us that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. As such, it is our responsibility to take good care of them. In his first Epistle to the Corinthian brethren, the Apostle Paul writes the following:

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."


I considered the possibility that perhaps it would be alright to pass out healthy snacks along with the tracts. This might include fruit, little boxes of raisins, bags of peanuts, etc. However, in my view -- you may not necessarily agree with me -- distributing snacks to the children is still a compromise solution. By doing this, you are still making it appear as if you are in support of Halloween. Some people may simply think that you are just more health conscious than other parents. As a result, they may miss the main message which you are really trying to convey to them; which is that due to your Bible-based Christian beliefs, you don't accept Halloween at all.

In contrast, by distributing Salvation tracts alone, you are being a witness of your Christian faith, and driving home the point that you don't embrace Samhain; that is, Halloween. The choice is really up to you. You must make your own decisions based on your own knowledge and understanding of God's Word, and what you personally believe is His Will for you. As the Apostle Paul also writes in his Epistle to the Romans:

". . . Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."


I should caution you that if you do decide to pass out tracts on Halloween evening, you should be prepared to possibly face some degree of persecution. Depending upon what part of your country you live in, and your particular neighborhood, there may be a few parents -- such as atheists, for example -- who don't appreciate what you are doing, and who may become very irate upon discovering a Gospel tract in their child's bag. The more devilish ones may even go as far as to complain to the authorities. If you should find yourself in this kind of a situation, simply smile and remember this:

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."


"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"


Before concluding this series, allow me to offer one final suggestion. If you have young children of your own who may be tempted to engage in Halloween activities, I encourage you to share parts of this series with them, as you feel appropriate. Depending on their age level, you may have to paraphrase it for them. Impress upon them through the Word, why we Christians frown upon the Halloween celebration.

To drive the lesson home with your children, you may even want to allow them to be the ones who stand at the door when the children arrive for their Halloween snacks. By passing out Salvation tracts themselves, your children can begin to learn to boldly stand up for their Christian convictions. By distributing the tracts to their neighborhood friends, they will also be living examples of their faith. Furthermore, it will teach them that genuine faith is accompanied by works for the Lord as well. They will learn what it means to have a living faith, and not a dead one. They will also learn at a young age to place their spiritual light where others can see it, and not simply hide it under a bushel. Let me remind you again of the following verses:

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."


"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."


If you would like to further study this topic, you may wish to read such articles as "Are You a Burning Ember for the Lord?", "This Little Light, Glory of the Lord and Our Bright Future", "Study, Work and Don't Be Ashamed!", "Sluggards and Sloths: Are You Diligent and Faithful in the Affairs of God's Kingdom?" and "Parable of the Sower: Salvation and Service".

With these remarks, I will bring this article to a close. My prayer is that it will strengthen and perhaps renew your own convictions regarding Samhain, or Halloween. If you are one who has found yourself sitting on the fence concerning this issue, I also hope that with the knowledge I have given you here, it will inspire you to make the right decision for the Lord's glory. Please don't allow yourself to be pressured into compromising with the ungodly ways of the secular world due to weak faith.

If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you would take the time to click on the corresponding link that is found on this page, and thus share this series with your friends. Thank you so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

Are You a Burning Ember for the Lord?
Our Pagan World : The Easter Myth Exposed
Parable of the Sower : Salvation and Service
Pontifex Maximus : Pagan High Priest to Roman Catholic Pope
Sluggards and Sloths : Are You Diligent and Faithful in the Affairs of God's Kingdom?
Striving for Perfection : Are You a Sinless Saint?
Study, Work and Don't Be Ashamed!
The Plight of the Children
The Public School System and School Prayer
This Little Light, Glory of the Lord and Our Bright Future

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