Five years ago I posted this message for Halloween. It still seems relevant today so here it is again with some minor revisions.
When I was young, many years ago, we would dress up as cowboys and Indians, soldiers and cartoon characters. We would go around to the neighbors we knew and they would tell us how cute we were and give us a simple bit of candy or gum. It seemed so innocent at the time. Now the houses are decorated as graveyards and ghosts and vampires roam the streets. We have violent movies and vampires made to look like everyday people. The more horrible the act, the more we want to see it on screen. The more devious and grotesque the better.
Or is it something darker?
Halloween is not just an innocent bit of fun any longer. It is an opportunity for the enemy to get a hook into our lives and make us think it is OK to dwell on the occult. The more we sink into his darkness, the easier it is to think of it as normal and acceptable and the harder it is to see the need for the light of God in our lives. Ephesians 5:11 (NIV) says "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." We need to keep our eyes on the light of His truth and not on the darkness of deception and evil.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV) says "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." Isn't interesting that we cannot say Merry Christmas or Happy Easter because we might offend someone but it is OK to say Happy Halloween because no one should be offended? Bring His light into your life today and let it shine brightly to expose the darkness of reveling in the spirit of perdition that is all around us on this day. It may seem like harmless fun, but underneath it all lays the potential destruction of our spirit. Do not let it capture your soul.
2 Samuel 22:29 (NIV) - You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
