Halloween's Hype & Hidden Dangers
Halloween has made its way into mainstream culture to such an extent that it now ranks second only to Christmas in terms of total retail expenditure. Its grotesque paraphernalia is now seen in most retail stores from as early as August; public schools now schedule activities for children with its ghoulish themes; the box office screens films with themes of ghosts, Dracula and witches. On All Hallows' Eve – a contraction of Halloween which is the eve of All Saints Day – many believe that witches, fairies, ghosts and demons walk freely among the living, thereby making it easier for humans to communicate with them. All of this begs the question as to how Jesus would view this festivity.
Harmless or Harmful?
Former warlock and Satanist, John Ramirez, is the author of "Unmasking the Devil," in which he testifies of how he became a Christian after serving satan from the age of 8. He was trained by witches to put spells or curses on others. His testimony confirms that indeed the devil is real and seeks to deceive humans into doing his bidding. Jesus further explains that the devil's mission under the guise of a thief is to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10).
A case in point, which made global headlines, was the brutal murder of Meredith Kercher in Italy on November 1, 2007. The last photo taken of her alive was at a Halloween party. Meredith was an exchange student from England. Her roommate and an American foreign student, Amanda Knox, was initially convicted, then finally in 2015 her conviction was annulled by the Supreme Court. Knox's then boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, was convicted twice then acquitted. Rudy Guede was found guilty of sexual assault and murder. This case has always raised more questions than answers, and there is no doubt that it resulted in many lives being destroyed, including the tragic death of the victim, Kercher.
In the occultic ritual of tarot card readings, death is portrayed by a skeleton riding on a white horse. His armor is meant to convey death's invincibility – which is the devil's primary deception. Throughout history gruesome murders and strange incidents have occurred at Halloween. You too may have noticed an increased incidence of sickness, accidents and general disruption to your normal routine around this time of year. This is probably no coincidence. By taking part in Halloween, you may be giving the devil just grounds to play havoc with your life. Christians are cautioned to "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8, NKJV). John Ramirez shared the remarkable fact that when he tried to put various hexes and curses on certain households, they were not impacted. The reason he discerned is that they knew how to pray. Indeed, life is not a playing field, but a battlefield in the spirit realm where bible-based prayers of faith are our chief weapons (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Fun or freaky?
Many of the antics, toys and games are targeted at children whose minds are most impressionable. By normalising Halloween in their minds from an early age, they will find it more difficult to be set free from its grip as they get older. The basis of most Halloween practices is to generate fear. At parties, typically costumes are worn to depict scary characters from history, fairy tales or fiction – all designed to engender an adrenaline rush causing flight or fright. The "trick or treat" tradition trains children to manipulate others by threatening them with a prank or trick if they don't get what they want, usually candy or money.
Once conditioned to be motivated by fear, we can develop a pattern of making fear-based decisions in our lives. A popular acronym for fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. You might receive a chilling diagnosis, the bank may threaten to foreclose on your mortgage, it may seem as if your marriage is doomed to the divorce courts. The devil wants you to accept such news as a fixed reality over which you have no control. Yet, Christians have the assurance that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). Therefore, to indulge in practices whose aim is to engender fear is to slide back into the kingdom of darkness, when God has brought you into the kingdom of light.
Acceptable or rejectable?
The Christian's standard of what is acceptable comes from God, not the world. He warned His people not to engage in witchcraft or sorcery – "Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 19:31, NLT). He would not have issued such a warning if there was no danger. In Galatians 5:19-20, witchcraft is listed as one of the acts of the flesh or sinful nature. As Christians we are in a continual battle between our flesh and the spirit. When Jesus instituted the sacred meal of bread and wine it was meant to bring to mind the death of Jesus for our salvation and help us look forward to his second coming. Jesus did not specify a specific day for doing this but said "as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:23 – 25). Jesus is very much alive, having been raised from the dead by the Father. He now is in heaven making intercession for us (Romans 8:34), and preparing a place for us in eternity (John 14:3). Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life..."; therefore, to celebrate death is the antithesis of what he stands for. He brings the good news that one day the final enemy – death – will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26). In the meantime, we would be wise to stay clear of Halloween's deceptive and seductive grip.
–Dr. Carla Cornelius considers herself a "doctor of the soul." Her Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling has equipped her to trace humanity's problems back to faulty thinking and values which fly in the face of the Maker's instructions. She is the author of "Culture Detox: Cleansing our Minds from Toxic Thinking"–an urgent appeal to detoxify our minds from the corrupting influences and values of our popular culture.