Good morning,
“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For 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 6:11-12)
This week we will be looking at the topic of Spiritual Warfare.
The forces of good and the forces of evil are in a battle for the souls of men and women, of boys and girls. Satan and his demonic cohorts seek to make evil acceptable.
Halloween is one of those activities.
Shofar Be Tzion Ministries wrote the following article on the real meaning of Halloween.
The Real Meaning of Halloween
It’s Not All About The Candy
We know as Christians that we should not celebrate Halloween, but do we know why? When I was a child, Halloween was one of my favorite times of the year. I loved dressing up, going out trick-or-treating, and enjoying the other festivities. Thank God for His Grace! I truly believe that once you come unto the knowledge or revelation of something, you are then responsible. I didn’t know then, what I know now. In doing research, getting information from people and gathering information from various sources, my mother and I came across some startling and very eye opening facts about the origins of activities, from what we use to consider a fun and harmless time of the year.
Did you know…………..
Trick or treating and wearing costumes were first done by the Druids to keep themselves safe from evil spirits?
Bobbing for Apples was done to obtain favor with the evil spirits. People would kneel around a tub of water filled with apples. The first person to get an apple without using their hands, would have good luck and favor from the spirits for the coming year.
Bonfires originally came from these nights of human and animal sacrifices where they would throw the remains of the bodies into the fire. The next morning all that was left were ashes and bones- thus the name bonefires- bonfires.
If this information is not enough, here are 10 more reasons that Kerby Anderson, an author, broadcaster and CEO of a Christian Think Tank Ministry, gives us.
10 Reasons Christians Should Not Celebrate Halloween.
- October 31st. Has long been known as “The Festival of the Dead.” The Celtic tribes and their priests the Druids celebrated this day as a marker for the change from life to death.
- Halloween today is performed usually by adherents of witchcraft who use the night for their rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the “Feast of Samhain” the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination.
- Christians should not be involved with occultic practice or divination. Note God’s command against divination in Deuteronomy 18.
- Occultist believe Halloween is a time of transition between life and death. Some occult practitioners…believe in lying on the grave and listening to the message from the long departed.
- Occultist also taught that spirits and ghosts left the grave during this night and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other “treats” at their door to appease the spirits.
- Occultists also would try to scare away the spirits by carving a scary face into a pumpkin. Sometimes the villagers would light a candle and place it within the pumpkin and use it as a lantern.
- In some witchcraft covens, the closing ritual includes eating an apple or engaging in fertility rites.
- Schools are removing any religious significance from Christmas (Winter Break) and Easter (Spring Break). Isn’t it ironic that most public schools still celebrate Halloween even though it has occultic origins?
- Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday the promotes witches, divination, haunted houses and other occultic practices.
- Christians should not endorse or promote Halloween in any way. “The night is nearly over; the day is almost near. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:12.
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This should give us something to think about. Satan wants us to believe that Halloween is all about costumes and candy. As we have seen, it is not.
Tomorrow, we will begin to uncover the Scriptural basis for our victory over Satan.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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