Halloween is a fun and widely celebrated holiday in the United States and in other countries. It’s full of friends, costumes, and lots and lots of candy, but also full of demonic practices and pagan roots, making it hard to decide as Christians if it’s ok to celebrate.
Should Christians celebrate Halloween? Christians should not celebrate Halloween as a way to celebrate evil, death, and darkness. But, Christians can participate in the holiday as a way to enjoy time with friends and family, engage the community around them, and be a light for Jesus in the hardest and darkest places like Halloween night.
Halloween is a lot of fun, but as Christians, we should be careful about how we celebrate it. The Bible tells us to flee from evil and to walk in the light, so if we’re going to celebrate Halloween we have to do it in a way that walks in the light of Jesus and not in the darkness of this world.
What The Bible Says About Halloween
The Bible never talks specifically about Halloween since it didn’t exist in its time, but it is clear that we should not take spiritual things lightly, especially since forces of evil and the devil are real.
Spiritual Darkness Is Real
The Bible says that Spiritual darkness is real and it’s not just something to be messed around with on a Halloween night.
In 1 Peter, the Bible says that Satan prowls around like a lion waiting for someone to devour, so we have to be on the alert. We also have to take Halloween seriously since wrestling with the powers over this present darkness is a hard and real thing.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:2 ESV
Because evil and demonic beings do exist, we should not be trying to glorify them or dabble in what they do. We cannot serve both God and demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
1 Corinthians 10:21 ESV
Jesus Conquers Spiritual Darkness
Though these dark spiritual forces are real, but as Christians, we also know that Jesus conquered all darkness and in him, we have the authority and higher ground over evil and even demons.
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10:19-20 ESV
How cool is it that we get to walk in Jesus’ authority and take down the bad guy: Satan? How much cooler is it that because of Jesus’ death on the cross, our names are written in heaven?
That’s something to rejoice in, and even when people think it’s cool to worship Satan on Halloween, we know that there’s something much greater than him.
We Are Called To Be A Light In The Darkness
Jesus gives us his power to overcome evil in our lives, but this is not a pass to get away with celebrating or even worshipping death, evil, Satan, and spirits.
We get to worship God and his power, not the devil’s because we are not called to dabble in darkness, but to be people of light.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:11 ESV
God is a God of light and goodness, so if we can’t celebrate Halloween without celebrating evil, then that is a sin.
But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ESV
Halloween itself does have evil roots, but so do Christmas and Easter. Does that mean we should get rid of these holidays altogether as Christians? No, it doesn’t.
These holidays can be redeemed through the power of Jesus, and as Christians, we can execute that transformation while being in the world but not of it.
As Christians, we are called to be image-bearers of Christ and share the gospel with others, which means we can apply our faith to Halloween and use it as an opportunity to shine our light.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14 ESV
Halloween is happening each year in a world that desperately needs Jesus, so why not be witnesses to our neighbors on Halloween night and every day after?
How To Participate In Halloween As A Christian
Halloween can be done right in a fun and engaging way, so let’s not give up on the opportunity to reach people with the love of Jesus, even on one of the world’s darkest nights.
Resist The Devil
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 CSB
Whatever you end up doing on Halloween, make sure that you are resisting the devil and submitting to God. Don’t interact with evil practices, but instead interact with the community.
Reach The Community And Pray
You may feel called to reach your neighbors with the gospel, but that doesn’t mean you have to dress demonically or act evilly in order to relate to the teenagers down the road.
On Halloween this year, love people like Jesus would, but also be safe about the places you’re going and the things you’re doing.
Ask for your church to pray with you for the holiday and the people you’ll encounter on Halloween. Make it a point to pray for wisdom and boldness on what to do.
For an idea of how to make a big deal of Jesus on Halloween, find ways to volunteer at a church event. Multiple churches all over the nation host trunk-or-treat and community events during Halloween for their communities, you can be a part of those & grow relationships with families in your communities.
Even as you walk around the block with your family, ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit for boldness and wisdom on how to talk with your neighbors about the gospel.
Through your testimonies and God’s power, you may be able to invite someone into the kingdom of light, instead of darkness on Halloween.
Redeem Pagan Practices
For centuries, Halloween has been based on pagan traditions that caused people to worship the devil, call down spirits, and practice divination.
As Christians, the Bible says these things are wrong and we are to only seek God and be His light. Because of this, we can take the redemptive power of Jesus in our new lives and swap evil practices for good ones.
Not everything about Halloween is evil, but for costumes specifically, there are some pretty graphic and evil things people decide to dress up as. To change this, you and your family can set the example by wearing fun and interesting costumes that don’t glorify evil, but glorify who God is through creativity, beauty, and humor.
If you’re looking for some harmless ideas for Halloween costumes, read our blog on Christian Halloween Costume Ideas here.
Celebrating Halloween The Right Way
Halloween is a lot of fun, but as Christians, we should be careful about how we celebrate it.
The Bible tells us to flee from evil and to walk in the light, so if we’re going to celebrate Halloween we have to do it in a way that walks in the light of Jesus and not in the darkness of this world.
Jesus wants to reach the broken people who are living in darkness on Halloween, and if you want to be a part of his redemption for the holiday, resist the devil. Pray. Go into the community with the love of Jesus, knowing that evil has no power over you.
I would encourage you to pray and ask God if you should be involved in halloween.
Don’t celebrate Halloween for the gore and evil. Instead, take it as an opportunity to love for your neighbors and family. The light of Jesus in you makes a difference.