To any Christian who is trying to live holy before God in this world, Halloween poses a unique challenge because Halloween celebrates death and darkness, two principles that Christians are called to overcome through Christ.

Recall how many times Israel incurred the wrath of God because she abandoned her holiness and adopted the wicked customs of the world around her, yet many Christians ignore this warning by abandoning their Christ-centered distinctiveness each year to array themselves in costumes of violence, death, sorcery, adultery, and debauchery while enjoying parties that celebrate death and fear rather than the celebration of life and light that Christians are called to.

The clash between Halloween and Christianity is very clear: Halloween is often about darkness, death, sorcery, fear, and idolatry, whereas the gospel is about light, life, the resurrection, love, and worship in the communion of the Spirit.

One of the real and present dangers for Christians as we encounter and engage the culture of Halloween is that we might become desensitized to the things of darkness. We must remember Scripture’s warning:

Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Whoever indulges darkness on Halloween will reap corruption from it.

LIVING HALLOWED

Philippians 1:27 (NKJV) Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

The first question we should all ask ourselves is “how can I live worthy of Christ on Halloween?”

The answers we give to this question may be as diverse as the people who give them, but be certain that Scripture does inform us about how we should answer this question.

So, with this question in mind, here are two principles that Scripture provides that I think will help us reason through how we engage Halloween as Christians.

GUARD YOUR MIND

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Christians must exercise discernment and be aware of what kind of thoughts we are entertaining on Halloween; what are we thinking about and what are we enjoying on Halloween?

TEST AND ABSTAIN

1st Thessalonians 5:21-22 (NKJV) Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

Christians must test everything before we hold onto it and learn to abstain from every form of evil; have we tested our conduct on Halloween before we began participating in Halloween?

I hope you find these Biblical principles useful as you reason through how to live hallowed (holy) on an unhallowed (unholy) eve.