Fall is by far my favorite season in Iowa. There are so many things I look forward to—jeans and sweatshirt weather, fall colors, Friday night football games, being in the woods, all things pumpkin flavored, and much more.

Another common fall occurrence for me is getting into various conversations surrounding the topic of Halloween. I hear many Christians giving their opinion on why they participate in or why they boycott Halloween activities. I also hear many people say they have never really thought about it before. With that said, let’s think about it together.

At the end of the day, I know Godly people who choose to participate in Halloween, and I know Godly people who choose not to, and both sides can back up their decision with biblical conviction—so which side is right? Or is it possible that God-fearing, gospel-centered people can have differing opinions about Halloween—and that’s fine?

This question is really one of discernment, which is defined as the ability to perceive, understand, and judge things clearly, especially things that might not be obvious or straightforward (such as whether or not to participate in Halloween). Christians have to take that definition a step further. Biblical (or Godly) discernment can be defined as the ability to understand God's will, differentiate between truth and error, and make righteous choices by applying God's word and the Holy Spirit's guidance to life's situations.

As Christians, we should always make decisions (including whether or not to participate in Halloween), by trying to differentiate between truth and error, based on God’s Word, and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Where Scripture doesn’t seem crystal clear, we as believers must discern how to move forward. Again, God’s Word and the Spirit’s guidance are necessary components to any decision a Christian makes.

So, does the Bible specifically say you shall or shall not trick or treat? No, hence the need for Godly discernment. Spoiler alert: I’m not going to tell you how you should approach Halloween, but I will say that whether or not you choose to participate should be based on Godly discernment that is led by God’s Word and the Spirit’s guidance.

I would argue that the most dangerous place for a Christian to find themselves in, would be participating in Halloween (or any other activity) with no real reason for doing so other than that is what you have always done or that is what everyone else is doing. Veritas, let’s not make important decisions without relying upon God’s Word and the Spirit’s guidance.

With that said, let’s take a closer look at possible reasons for the convictions people hold on both sides of the issue - the following is not an exhaustive list but should help you start thinking about the issue. 

Christians who do not participate in Halloween might point to the following for the basis of their decision:

• Halloween has pagan roots and seems to celebrate evil, darkness, the occult, etc
• Continual reminder to God’s people in the Old Testament to be set apart from pagan nations and their practices/rituals
• Because Halloween can be associated with things the Bible prohibits (sorcery, trying to communicate with the dead, the occult, worshipping satan, etc), Christians should stay clear of all things Halloween (they might argue participation equals endorsement)
• Christians should not dabble in or celebrate darkness, fear, and other things that don’t honor God (Ephesians . 5:7-14, 1 Thessalonians. 5:5, 5:22)
• Christianity is about life/light and not death/darkness that is celebrated on Halloween (John 3:19-20)
• The life of a Christian should be about honoring God and it is hard to see how participating in Halloween can honor God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
• We are to be watchful of the devil, and many of the practices, outfits worn, and words spoken on Halloween are not Christ-like, so why would we put ourselves in a situation where it might be easier to give into temptation? (1 Peter 5:8)
• We are to resist the devil (James 4:7)

Christians who do participate in Halloween might point to the following for the basis of their decision:

• Jesus has power over sin, darkness, and death and Christians have nothing to fear and can live as victorious people (Mark 1:27, 1 Cor. 15:54-57, Col. 2:15, Hebrews 2:14, Rev. 17:17)
• While we are not to be like the world, we are sent into it and can work to advance the gospel because we know Jesus shines in the darkness (John 1:4-5, John 17:20-23)
• It is possible to redeem Halloween and do it in a way that actually glorifies God (1 Cor. 10:31)
• Some see this as a huge opportunity to engage their neighborhood (what other night are all of your neighbors out and about, knocking on your door?) - Halloween is simply another night to think through how you can intentionally live out the great commission and go into the harvest field and be salt and light (Matt. 28:16-20, Luke 10:2, Matt. 5:13-16)

As for what my family does? We choose to intentionally participate. We aren’t going to put giant skeletons in our yard, we are not going to play with ouija boards, we are not going to dress in a trashy manner, etc. We are going to be mindful of what we wear, how we act, and what we say. We are going to be confident in Christ’s victory over the grave and that we can put on the armor of God. We do want to engage our neighborhood and be welcoming and hospitable. We are going to try and redeem Halloween for the sake of the gospel. We acknowledge that Christ has authority, that we can be hospitable to our neighbors, and that we can actively resist the devil all while participating in some Halloween activities.

Let me be clear, there are things that you should not do on Halloween or at any other time (sorcery, pursuing darkness, trashy dress, crude words and ungodly actions, and any other practice that go against God’s Word). In areas where more discernment is needed, what will you choose to do? It’s important that you come to these decisions wisely, not naively or haphazardly, but guided by God’s Word and by the Spirit. And that you move forward with Biblical conviction. Pray for God to give you wisdom and discernment (James 1:5) and move forward accordingly.

Veritas, let’s not make important decisions without relying upon God’s Word and the Spirit’s guidance.

*An article can be limiting. If you would like to explore this more, a few of our pastors previously recorded a podcast on this very topic HERE…