Trick or Treat, And Full Of Deceit

A day to dress up, do something fun, and get candy. That's it right? That's all it is! Harmless. Completely and utterly harmless.
That is how I felt about Halloween for many years.
I never really took the time to evaluate what Halloween was really about, and why it's celebrations were celebrated in the darkness, and centered around dark figures.
Ghosts, witches, vampires and the walking dead are all among the guests at this dark party. Blood, gore and sheer death were also welcome.
Come on in, and bring your innocent 3 year old with you. She's sure to love it.
So certainly not all Halloween parties reach that level of darkness, but even the children are dressed as vampires.
Do you know what vampires do? They suck blood. At least that's what they do in the stories you hear.
How about witches? They play with darkness, they play with black magic and they were far from pleasing to the Lord in the Bible times. I doubt He has changed His feelings towards them.
The truth about darkness is this: It defies the light. It shuns the light, it hates the light.
The scriptures tell us to "Put aside the deeds of darkness."

Why draw a line in the sand? Why make it so serious? I will tell you why. If it, (the thing) has anything to do with celebrating evil, darkness or satan himself, I will have no part.
I want no part in bringing glory to that which opposes the light.
All things good, pure and light, these are things that encourage, build up and give peace are what I ought to focus my attention on.

Many times our children have no clue what they are really celebrating, it's only known that we (adults) like to get dressed up too, we like a night to go out and be crazy and it's fun to have pretend blood dripping down your chin. Our children are watching.

"My children dress up like Moses, or Noah..." That's good. They can do that any day of the week though. And Noah and Moses would not have dared to venture into the celebration of death that we so carelessly raise our glass to each October 31st.

I have begun to pray already for darkness to retreat, praying over that day, and what it means for my neighborhood.
If only we had spiritual eyes and could see the enemy prancing around that night, enjoying his delightfully dark night.

Halloween is like Satan's birthday. That's what we call it at our house. We will not celebrate such a terrible thing.

I really do think that it's from pure and simple ignorance and being naive that keeps most of us from caring about the real implications of Halloween.
So we put up "cute" little ghosts in our yard, and funny looking skeletal figures with some nice red eyes, or green, and we say, Trick or Treat!

I hate how I was so duped for those years, duped into thinking that celebrating the dark for just one day, was harmless. I shutter to think that I gave the enemy glory as I dressed up my two and three year old. But I did it, because everyone else was!

Over the years, the Lord asked me to take a long hard look at the reason's why I felt bad saying NO to the evil that knocked on my door each Halloween night. My reasons were shallow, and so I laid aside my will. I said No to this form of evil, and I locked my doors to it. I prayed for Spiritual protection, and for God to guard my home on that night of darkness. I'm not afraid of the darkness, but I want my shield held high.

Perhaps you disagree, or perhaps you do agree and have never thought about this day, October 31st in such a way.
But either way I do challenge you examine your own reasons, and come up with a answer that falls in line with what God desires for you.