Beautiful fall with all its glory. Wonderful bounty, plentiful harvest, and Halloween. Do you ever feel like Halloween ruins it?
When I was a young mom, I struggled so much with how to handle Halloween. We were teaching our daughter to love Jesus, to walk in purity, turn from sin, and to also be a LIGHT in the darkness. But where is the fine line for Christians on how to handle Halloween? I used to be a much more black and white kind of gal.
I was hopeful there was a clear line or right and wrong. All I wanted was a line… a big bold black line that made parenting easier.
Listen to Courageous Parenting Podcast Episode #39: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
You know, the one that tells you don’t touch this!!! Usually, on most things I could look to the church and find good solid teaching, but to my dismay, I could find no such example in my own church or in the church at large. No one was willing to lead on this topic.
I know that Halloween is a controversial issue for Christians. So in light of the season, I thought I would stick my neck out here, be courageous, and share our convictions and how we handle October 31st!
You may not agree with me on everything I share, and that is ok. Much of my conclusions have simply come from having constant conviction every October on how far is too far as for me, as a Christian mom, when it comes to participating in cultural norms. This question is a good one to challenge ourselves on all the time. When it comes to movies we watch, music we listen to, how we dress, our political beliefs, and so much more.
If your family chooses not to participate in any way, there is no condemnation here. We have done the same a few years as well. And I applaud you for standing in a conviction. This leads me to share that my husband and I don’t claim to have all the answers. We mess up, just as we all do, in this journey called parenting.
But, one thing I do know, is that this particular day invites a spiritual battle. So, with that in mind, can I ask you to join our family in praying. This is a day that many, who are choosing to worship idols and satan himself need our prayers {they need it every day, but especially on this day}. We need to be praying for their salvation and for the safety of the masses, because the truth is that many very ugly things happen on this night. So let’s partner with the Lord, interceding on their behalf.
After reading this post I would like to invite you to pop over to my latest post on this season, Redeeming Halloween where I teach how to use a Pumpkin Gospel Printable and have a FREE one for you to print and use or giveaway to friends to use.
Here is our story:
When Isaac and I were first married we didn’t participate in any type of Halloween traditions, other than going to the pumpkin patch. Once Kelsey was two years old we decided to start having close friends who didn’t celebrate it over for games and prayer. In addition, we would pass out candy with bible verses attached to be a light.
Looking back, even though I was raised Lutheran, I never knew October 31st was also Reformation Day {the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door}. Funny, isn’t it. As a young mom who was deeply desiring to integrate my faith into every area and decision in life, I was on the look-out for a book that would truly tackle this topic. At the time I found this book published by Focus on the Family, entitled Redeeming Halloween.
Sermon Audio of the 95 Theses, The Spark of the Reformation
When Kelsey was three we tried out the church preschool. That lasted about three months because right during Halloween I was beginning to wonder about this homeschooling thing. I have to admit the whole pressure to dress up for the Halloween class party really turned me off. I was confused. I thought that the choice to celebrate Halloween or not should be a parental choice, not something I was pressured into doing.
I could have simply told the teacher, we don’t do Halloween and I am sure she would have completely understood, but I was a new young mom and was still figuring out what my convictions were on this whole issue. I needed deep thinking leadership on this topic, from the church and wasn’t finding it. As I drove down the road, most churches were having “harvest parties” and creating a safe place for kids in the community to trick or treat. I wasn’t against this outreach. But I was still uneasy about the whole thing. So, the first few years, we let Kelsey dress up {in her cute dress up clothes she already had, and we tried a few church harvest parties. But that rebel inside me didn’t like just going with the flow.
In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t like just going with the flow. I like to question WHY behind everything we do.
Once we had our second son, we had decided to start having our own little “harvest parties.” We would try to be a light, carving crosses into pumpkins and teaching the kids about sin as we carved out the yucky stuff.
We attached bible verses to candy and tried not be viewed as the judgmental Christians. We would try extra hard to bless trick or treaters with good-sized candies so they would take the time to read the note on the package.
Then we moved to our farm. This created a new problem, no trick or treaters came to visit. So our outreach opportunities had diminished. Then when Kelsey was 7 and going to a Christian school we felt pressured into letting the kids dress up and go to the harvest party at her school. We did our first trick or treating experience that year as well, reluctantly I must say. There is so much pressure as a mom, parental peer pressure. All the kids in her class were talking about all the candy they were going to get. And I was again worried that my little girl would think I was the mean mom.
So what was the verdict after one trick or treating experience? While the kids liked getting the candy, they all agreed they never wanted to trick or treat again. People and houses were “too scary.” It just convinced us more that we didn’t want to participate in Halloween. On top of that, because of our health conscious diet… we had to ration the candy and then they forgot about it after a couple of days and didn’t desire it anyway.
Are we easily influenced by our culture?
As Christians, we are so easily, tempted into believing falsities, untruths about all kinds of things. We just go with the flow and often make parenting decisions based upon the culture around us and what others will think of us. I know I didn’t even realize how much of what our core beliefs are, have been impacted and molded by the government and media agendas. Dare I say it, we are in a spiritual battle?! Not just against the media and government, but against our real adversary.
This issue is not about if we trick or treat or not, it’s much bigger than that.
And you may disagree, but if we, as the church, as the body of Christ, can’t stand for something apart from the culture, is it no wonder most of the children raised in the church of today fall away from their faith by the ages of 19-21. What can we do about it?
Many people in the culture might say, “You are too strict! Your children are going to rebel and push away from God because of it.” We have heard it before. Just go read some of the crazy comments I received from people because we don’t endorse certain movies.
The reality is that what we, Christian parents, ARE doing and have been doing for the past few decades IS NOT WORKING!
I don’t believe that nominal Christianity is ‘THE WAY.” God wants us to lay our crosses down and join Him! That is the way. I want to raise kids that are sold out for Christ and know how much they need a Savior! I want them to have the unattackable unquenchable joy that only comes from knowing their security in Jesus, not in what they do or don’t do!
One way we can stand firm is by standing up for the Lord and standing against what opposes God… witchcraft is one of those that oppose God. If we as Christians do not stand apart and look different how can we be any different? How will our children ever be any different?
If what they see is the same as the culture, how will they learn to stand firm and recognize the battle in the spiritual realm. How long will we as Christ-followers ignore that it exists. It’s like we are believing the serpent all over again… “did God really say that?” {Gen.3}
We teach our children not by just our words, but more through our actions. What we do as well as what we do not do. I am now and have been for years opposed to participating in Halloween for many reasons. Instead, I am for engaging in this spiritual battle. When I say I am going to war, I mean war. And my weapon is love, prayer, and training those few in the next generation how to engage it as well.
In light of the political issues endangering our spiritual freedoms today, I think we would be naive to believe that spiritual warfare is going to diminish. We need to be not only choosing to live differently, but also teach our children how to recognize spiritual battles, spiritually lost souls, and how to react in love through prayer and service. You can read more about the history of halloween here at The Resurgence.com.
What do we do on Halloween?
PRAY. LOVE. BE A LIGHT.
It has changed over the years, every year is different, and I anticipate that as the kids get older and we are more mobile to be serving more actively in the community it should change even more. But the last few years, we usually have hosted a little gathering of close friends. We play games, eat yummy harvest dishes, spend time in prayer, sometimes worship, and throughout the season we teach the kids about the Reformation and remember those who have gone before us that have stood out for their faith, either missionaries or family members who had strong faith. We thank God for their example and what we can learn from their lives.
Topics to target and teach on:
I suggest we take this opportunity to actively teach our children about the reformation as well the spiritual numbness of society. Teach them about the spiritual battle we are living in and how visible it is in the weeks leading up to this pagan ritualistic holiday.
We as Christians are told by God to flee from all evil. Ask your kids how that relates to this holiday? Let them think, talk and get it. Or else it won’t necessarily be passed on. Think legacy. What do you want your kids to know before they leave your home? What about the spiritual realm do you need to teach? Maybe you need to learn about it first! That is part of this refining road as parents.
Recently a respected sister in the Lord and dear mentor of mine posted this MP3 on the topic of Halloween. I highly recommend giving it a listen.
Thank you, Ann Dunagan, for this great resource for parents to easily listen to and be challenged by.
My controversial comments and opinions:
Above all I believe God calls us to be a light to this world, but that doesn’t mean we need to participate in a pagan holiday. My conscience wasn’t clear about it. It wasn’t like I wanted to be that “weirdo” that doesn’t let my kids trick or treat. Come on, I have always struggled with being a people-pleaser. But God convicted my heart, so for me, it became a matter of obedience. It may not be for you. But it was for me. Just as in this scripture in James 4:17 says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Because I believe “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..” 2 Timothy 3:16 And I desire to be sanctified in the truth as the word says in John 17:7, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
This word that sanctifies us in truth, teaches us to flee from evil.
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11
You see, I thought to myself, if these verses pertain to all life… doesn’t it include halloween? While we do have the liberty to choose the kinds of food we eat, we certainly don’t have the right to compartmentalize Jesus out of decisions regarding celebrating pagan holidays, do we? And we don’t have the liberty to simply turn a blind eye to the facts in the history of this holiday either.
My testimony of faith in figuring out this out all began with an uneasy spirit about participating and a willingness to allow the Word of God to convict me, change my opinions and thoughts; as well as dictate my actions by sealing my convictions. I honestly, do believe that some issues like food, are not worth talking over. Not theologically. However, when it comes to the spiritual “place” of our souls as a people. When we are desensitized to the reality of the spiritual mess of our culture aside from a “simple” holiday but not excluding it. It’s worth talking about. Jesus himself overturned tables because of what was in man’s hearts. For me, this was a test of my conviction.
Will I stand strong when the world I am so used to stands against my thoughts, feelings, and convictions? Will I truly be willing? Yes, Halloween is a little tiny test compared to being willing to die for your faith. But for me, if I couldn’t stand for this little conviction, could I fall for anything?
The world tells us not to take life seriously, let kids have fun, and that we only live once. But that is just it, we do only live once and that life isn’t ours. And honestly, we need to see the truth of the battle we are in and be actively at war in prayer on nights like Halloween.
Galatians 5:1, KJV
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
This verse is a great verse about not living in a yoke of bondage. And many might think that my strong opinion not to celebrate Halloween the way the culture does to be a form of bondage, for me and for my children. But, I must say that the spirit was convicting me before this decision. Every year, it was that confusing issue. For many years, I was living in bondage because of not making a firm decision. But the past eight years have been freedom living. And that is why I share with you. If you have been led to read this post. If you have struggled again and again with what to do, like we had. There is freedom in making a strong firm decision.
Ask the Lord what you should do. Don’t take my advise. Don’t just do what others are doing. Seek the Lord in all things, including how to navigate halloween, Christmas, Easter, and parenting decisions in general. Don’t be like a wave tossed by the sea. Don’t just go with the flow of the culture.
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6, ESV
If you believe the false thinking of those who say, “That’s not being a light. That makes you look judgmental.” You are taking advice from the world. They are claiming judgmentalism in order to get you to stand down from your convictions, sometimes so they can justify their lack of it. When in reality aren’t they judging you for saying NO. Whatever happened to JUST SAY NO. We as Christians say yes far too often to the world to make it/them feel comfortable. And because of it, we lose our saltiness.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13, ESV
And I don’t want to lose my saltiness? And I am in the process of shaking salt into my kids. It doesn’t just appear in them you know.
What does the church of satan believe about Halloween?
Have you ever wondered? If so many Christ-followers are anti-Halloween and they say it is “satan’s holiday;” have you ever wondered what the satan worshipers believe about Halloween? When we were deciding how much to “be involved” I did a little research. A friend of mine interviewed an occult member in this post. And then researched the church of satan, to be educated about God’s adversary, our adversary… to know how to pray.
Here are a few links:
The Church of Satan on Halloween
Church of Satan on Holidays
An Interview with an Occult Convert
This is a little quote from their website on Halloween: “We see this holiday as the night when the mundane folk try to reach down inside and touch the “darkness” which for Satanists is a daily mode of existence. Particularly in the United States, Halloween is a time for celebrating monster films, wearing costumes of a macabre nature, and evoking the thrill of “fun fear.” Children (of all ages) can indulge their fantasies by donning costumes that allow for intense role-playing and the release of their “demonic cores,” the parts of their personalities often hidden from their friends, co-workers and families.” The Church of Satan
Scary isn’t it? This alone makes me want to flee from evil.
Let me leave you with this last point. GRACE.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1, ESV
Have you ever tasted a stew that had WAYYYY too much salt in it? Terrible huh. One time, one of my daughters put the measurement of sugar in the form of salt into a batch of cookies. Ew. It was crazy. The puckered up face you just made as I described it sums up my point– we need to be careful as Christians, as well don’t we.
My heart ISN’T to push anyone into doing what we do, or even believing what we have been convicted about on this topic over the years. I don’t want you to get that yucky taste in your mouth and spit it out. That is not the right amount of salt. No, I hope you have been challenged, encouraged, and maybe even tasted a little salt. Our goal should be to be salt and light but to love deeply too.
Pray together for this night. Pray with your kids. This is a night when there are many crazy, scary things happening around the world. There is a need for us to be praying!
I also want to invite you to pop over to read the post-Redeeming Halloween | A FREE Pumpkin Gospel Printable and download the object lesson for kids!
In this post, we talk about 3 decision-making questions a parent should ask before deciding what culture induced activities one should participate in. And 3 key things parents should focus on teaching during the month of October.
Tell me what you think! I am always excited to hear from others and get ideas of how they have prayed, loved, and served in a special way to shine the light of Jesus.
