Halloween Isn’t Neutral

Last week, a friend remarked that Halloween is her favorite day of the year. Every September, she fills the outside and inside of her home with skeletons, zombies, and ghosts. She hosts an annual party where she always dresses as a witch. And…she’s a Christian. 

I’m not questioning her faith. But the level of naivety is stunning. And she’s not alone. 

So many believers have either made peace with this day or actively celebrate it. I get that when kids are young, dressing them as princesses or superheroes and going through the neighborhood together for candy feels harmless and fun. But Halloween is a spiritually dark day where evil is openly celebrated. Many of the adult costumes are overtly violent or sexual. Homes are turned into haunted houses. What exactly are we celebrating…and who are we inadvertently partnering with? 

How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15 NLT) 

Some of you may have a heart to redeem the day. If so, ask God how to be light in the darkness. But that doesn’t happen by casually going with the flow—whether on Halloween or any other day of the year. For those who watch horror movies, realize you’re filling your home (and mind) with graphic scenes of violence, torture, fear, and evil. How does that square with Philippians 4:8 mandate to fill your mind with what’s true, right, and pure? 

C. S. Lewis says, "There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan." It’s no mystery which side Halloween falls on.