The Christian and Halloween: A Call to Reject the Works of Darkness
Every October, families prepare to celebrate Halloween. Streets are filled with costumes, skulls, haunted houses, witches, and graveyard imagery. Sadly, many Christians treat Halloween as harmless fun—placing it in the same category as Thanksgiving or Christmas. But God’s Word calls us to discernment. A born-again believer cannot mix the light of Christ with the works of darkness.
Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people believed the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred on October 31st. To protect themselves, they lit fires, wore costumes, and carved lanterns to ward off spirits. Later, the Roman Catholic Church attempted to Christianize this pagan holiday, establishing November 1st as “All Saints’ Day,” making October 31st “All Hallows’ Eve,” eventually called “Halloween.”
Despite its religious veneer, Halloween retained its roots in superstition, death, and darkness. Today, witches, skulls, skeletons, and ghostly images continue to dominate the celebration. For Christians, this matters: Halloween glorifies what Christ came to destroy.
The Bible’s Warning Against Darkness
God’s Word speaks with absolute clarity:
Ephesians 5:11 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
2 Corinthians 6:14 – “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”
Deuteronomy 18:10–12 warns against witchcraft, divination, and communication with the dead, calling such practices “an abomination to the LORD.”
1 Thessalonians 5:22 – “Abstain from every form of evil.”
Halloween’s symbols—graveyards, skulls, spirits, witches—celebrate exactly what Christ redeemed us from.
Christ’s Victory Over Death
When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He conquered death once and for all. “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56–57).
Paul triumphantly asks, “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). Christ stripped death of its power through His own death and resurrection. For the believer, eternal death has been defeated.
So why would any Christian celebrate the imagery of death, graves, and darkness? To glorify skulls, spirits, and witchcraft is to dishonor the very victory Christ purchased with His blood. If Jesus redeemed you from eternal death, why would you rejoice in the symbols of it?
Why Halloween Is Not Harmless
Some excuse Halloween as “just fun” or “innocent.” Yet Scripture warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). What may seem trivial is often a doorway to compromise. Participating in a festival rooted in fear and death dulls our witness and diminishes the testimony of Christ’s victory.
Jesus declared: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Our calling is to proclaim life, not death. Our identity is in Christ, not in the shadows.
A Call to Holiness
The command is simple: “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Christians are called to holiness, not compromise.
Ignorance is no excuse. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Celebrating Halloween—even passively—betrays the victory of Christ and blurs the testimony of His church.
Instead of joining the culture in glorifying darkness, believers can use October 31st as an opportunity for prayer, evangelism, or family worship. Many churches offer alternatives that celebrate life and the goodness of God, without symbols of death.
Conclusion
Halloween is not an innocent holiday for Christians. Its history is pagan, its practices glorify death, and its symbols contradict the Gospel. Christ’s death and resurrection stripped the grave of its victory. “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
Let us not celebrate death and darkness when Christ has redeemed us from eternal death. Instead, let us put on the armor of light and live as children of the day (Romans 13:12). This October 31st, may we boldly shine for Christ, declaring to the world that Jesus is Lord, and death has been forever defeated.
Closing Prayer
Lord, open our eyes to see the spiritual warfare around us. Help us to hate what You hate—death and darkness. Teach us to love what You love—life, truth, and holiness. Remind us daily that Christ has conquered death, and help us to celebrate Jesus and the light He brings to this dark world. In Christ’s name, Amen.
Please share with your friends so they may know the truth.
