Friend, as someone who deeply cares about you and your family, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the topic of Halloween.

Proceed at the risk of your comfort.

Growing up, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I don’t know of any kid who doesn’t like dressing up (except my boy—but that’s a story for another time) and getting a bucket full of candy. I enjoyed these festivities well into my teens. The church I first attended as a new Christian hosted a fall festival each year where students would dress up—nothing scary, of course—and compete in different games.

At home, the fun continued.

Once I got too old to trick-or-treat, my older sister and I started a new tradition. We’d make Halloween-themed pasta, watch Disney’s classic Halloween movies, and hand out candy to all the neighborhood kids. It wasn’t gory or overly scary. It was innocent fun for me. Quite honestly, it was one of my favorite traditions, and to this day, I still feel the nostalgia of those memories.

At the age of 18, the Lord moved me to a much smaller church, where they viewed a few things differently, including Halloween. They didn’t dress up or host trunk-or-treat events. To my dismay, they refrained from all Halloween-related activities. They held clear convictions about avoiding entertainment and activities that passively partnered with fear and witchcraft, Disney ones included.

“Maybe they’re just being too religious,” I thought to myself. It’s not like I endorsed horror or violence when I dressed up and handed out candy. But because the leaders of the church seemed to know a thing or two more than I did, I decided to ask the Lord about the matter. I’ve never been one to blindly follow religious “rules,” but I do have the habit of asking the Lord for His opinion, especially concerning debated topics.

Soon after I began asking the Lord for clarity, I heard what I thought was confirmation of my initial belief: “They’re being extra.” I heard a formerly prominent Christian radio station say that Halloween was okay, because of its supposed Christian origins as All Hallows’ Eve. Now that I know a bit more about All Saints’ Eve, I would argue that it’s not biblical anyway. However, I didn’t know that then, so for good measure, I asked the Lord for more confirmation. Personally, I didn’t want my biases to guide my moral compass.

After persistently asking the Lord about Halloween, I finally received my answer through a dream. In the dream, I saw a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home. A friend of mine was sitting in the vehicle dressed as a “good” witch, watching a children’s Halloween movie. Across the street from us, I saw a witch and a gorilla hiding behind a bush, waiting for the opportune time to harm my friend. I sensed the looming danger, yet I felt conflicted. I didn’t want to burst my friend’s innocent fun or impose my convictions on her. When the imminent danger became tangible, however, I could no longer watch from a distance. I quickly grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the safety of the home. Then, as I tried to close the door, the gorilla violently slammed against the door, determined to break in and do harm. I shoved back as I invoked the name of Jesus and managed to lock the door. My friend was completely clueless about the danger she had invited in through what seemed like innocent fun. She was unaware of how her harmless participation had exposed her to an attack. As I started to debrief her on what had just transpired, I woke up. Suddenly, everything became clear. Halloween was no longer a gray area to me. It was black and white.

Over the years, I have asked the Lord about many controversial topics within the Christian community (e.g., tattoos, alcohol, hair dye, and so on). The answer has usually been: “What is the fruit of it?” That dream made clear the fruit of Halloween. The witch represented witchcraft and the gorilla represented violence. On this day of all days, witchcraft, violence, and fear are glorified, something that has only become more evident through recent years. Just look at the decor. Putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t make it kosher. Likewise, participating in “family-friendly” Halloween doesn’t make it harmless.

The enemy of your soul is looking to harm you and your family. He doesn’t care if your intentions are innocent (1 Peter 5:8). He looks for cracked doors that he can break into. Friend, I really hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but I am not apologetic for trying to grab your hand and pull you into safety. I encourage you to ask the Lord for yourself. If I’m merely being extra, my lack of participation in Halloween is harmless at most. If what I am saying is true, then your participation in Halloween is not, and that’s my sincere concern. I urge you, as a fellow believer, to have no fellowship with darkness, even when it’s disguised as innocent, family-friendly fun. I pray you hear clearly from the Lord yourself. It’s different when He speaks directly to you.

I’ll end with this Scripture:

Ephesians 5:9-11
“Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

P.S. — I’m not afraid that my kids will feel left out. We’re going to make October 31st a fun day in our family, starting this year. What are we going to do? Good question. I’m doing what my youth pastor’s family used to do: Put up the Christmas on Halloween and begin the Christmas festivities. Yes, we’re going to be”that” family, but it’s going to be so much fun!