The turn of the weather from summer to fall is one of the most satisfying times of the year. The bite of the oncoming cold blends perfectly with spiced apples, hot coffee, sweaters, and early sunsets. Only one thing spoils the transition from now to Christmas. Halloween stands in the way, embraced with enthusiasm by American culture. There are a few houses in our neighborhood that are unpleasant to walk or run past because of the way they have given their yard over the demonic. Frankly, it is confusing to me that a Christian would have to explain his dislike for Halloween. Sure, there may be good and proper aspects of a distant Christian festival that have been corrupted. Also, it’s not impossible to dress in costume or beg candy in harmless ways. However, recovering redeemable aspects of Halloween requires ignoring the way American culture currently decorates for and celebrates October 31. Halloween decorations are just as garish as Christmas decorations, but the particular themes are much different. Generally, spooky décor displays some combination of death, darkness, and demons. The character of our God is exactly opposite those three things, and it should take very little persuading for Christians to kick Halloween to the curb.
Despite that denunciation, there are at least two lessons that Halloween decorations teach us, albeit against their will. The first is that the Lord Jesus will raise the dead. Tombstones feature prominently in the décor of darkness, for death is itself a fear that Satan uses to bind unbelievers (Heb. 2:14-15). However, 1 Corinthians 15 speaks extensively about how closely tied the resurrection of the dead is to the gospel. “For as in Adam all die”—as Halloween likes to remind us—“even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). The grave is foreboding now, but it will ultimately be defeated just like the rest of the Lord’s enemies. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26). Death will be destroyed because Jesus is Himself the Resurrection and the Life. As Jesus said to Martha in John 11:24-25, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” You and I pass these seasonal celebrations of death as possessors of undying eternal life; our presence is testimony that the grave is doomed. The Halloween tombstones try hard to intimidate, but the next time you see a crop of them, feel free to mock it with the words of 1 Corinthians 15:55: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Then, turn to thank the Lord with the very next verses: “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The second lesson Halloween inadvertently teaches us is that Jesus Christ defeated not only death, but also the spiritual powers of darkness. In many ways, Halloween is a wishful thinking exercise by those who wish Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead. If there was no resurrection, the spiritual realm would have won. Remember that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Some of these spiritual enemies have already been consigned to prison in hell (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6), and all of God’s enemies will go there. The use of skeletons, shades, and ghosts to celebrate Halloween is not accidental, then. These are depictions of the spiritual creatures that the Lord has already, or will soon, cast into hell. Horror movies and Halloween decorations depict these supernatural beings emerging from the grave or the spiritual world to prey on humans because that is what they would do if the power of Christ did not restrain them and had not defeated them. Colossians 2:15 proclaims that, “having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” The cross and empty tomb was the victory of the Lord Jesus over all other spiritual influences. He is the victor, and they are the losers. Halloween is an unrealistic depiction of their power over humans because, apart from any role they play in the carefully scripted events of the end times, they cannot harm humans and spread destruction to their satisfaction. They are as evil and dark as they are portrayed, but the Lord Jesus has humiliated them, and their destruction is certain. “You wish, demons. But you lost. Jesus won.”
The above article was written by Jonathan Kyser. He is a pastoral assistant at NorthStone Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL. To offer him your feedback, comment below or email us at strengthforlife461@gmail.com.
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Well said Bro Kyser! It is sad that a Christian must defend our dislike of Halloween. The tables have been turned. We are portrayed as against children enjoying dressing up and being delighted by candy. But the decor and the design of Halloween is nothing of the sort. It is a glorification of the demonic. But the devil has been defeated and the grave has lost!