Is Celebrating Halloween ok for a Christian?

I enjoyed Halloween growing up.  I used to like scaring people and getting dressed up.  I had many spooky decorations.  As I matured in my faith and grew closer to God, I felt a strong conviction from him that he did not want me to participate in celebrating this day.  The conviction came upon me very strongly.  When I sat back and really thought about it, I realized that this day celebrated evil and things that oppose God.  I knew that I did not want to be a-part of anything that dishonored God.  I gathered up my decorations and got rid of them.  I have not turned back or even missed celebrating that day. 

My children have grown up not celebrating Halloween.  We used to live in a place where the streets were filled with trick or treaters.  Many of the costumes portrayed death and hell.  My kids would look out the window at all the people walking by and I would say to them we are watching death and hell pass us by.  We would have a mini party at home celebrating life and thanking Jesus for what he did on the cross.

I’m not going to go into a deep study about Halloween.  You can find many sermons and teachings on this topic and why Christians should not celebrate this day.  I did just wanted to touch on a few things about why celebrating this day does not glorify God but the devil and his demons. 

Bible verses use some of the following words.  I would like to let you know what they mean.  It will help you understand what the bible is describing as you read the Word of God.

• Necromancy - Conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events.  MAGIC, SORCERY
• Spiritism - A belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium.
• Mediums - An individual held to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and a world of spirits. 
• Witchcraft - The use of sorcery or magic.  Communication with the devil or with a familiar. Rituals and practices that incorporate belief in magic and that are associated especially with neo-pagan traditions and religions (such as Wicca).
• Sorcery - The use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining.  MAGIC
• Divination - The art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.

Witchcraft
Witchcraft and black magic glorifies the devil. I go through and list miracles the devil and his demons are able to do in Part 1 of my article the called Mark of the Beast. When you get into wicca or witchcraft or are calling up demonic spirits who are using the powers of hell. God considers this evil (2 Chronicles 33:6).

Deuteronomy 18:9-13, When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. In this next verse God is speaking. Micah 5:12, I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.  If God wants to destroy witchcraft why would we celebrate it and wear witch costumes?  

Vampires
People dress up like vampires who suck blood which is an act God forbids. Leviticus 17:14, For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.

Death & The Grave
The opposite of life is death. Jesus came to give us life and life in abundance while the devil is out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Death is celebrated on Halloween. Children and adults will dress up in skeleton costumes or like the grim reaper.

Proverbs 8:36, …all who hate me love death.  Revelation 1:18, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.  Isaiah 25:8, He will swallow up death forever; …

People put out grave stones on their front lawn. They glorify something that Jesus redeemed us from. Hosea 13:14, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! See also Psalm 49:15.

Hebrews 2:14, Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.  1 Corinthians 15:55, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Christians should not celebrate evil and death that Halloween glorifies.  Honor God by giving him thanks and glory for defeating death, hell and the grave.  He is willing to freely give anyone who seeks after him life and life in abundance.
Here is a short video from Pastor Curry Blake about Halloween.  Click HERE

How good must I be to get into heaven?

Believing you can earn your salvation by being a good enough person is not accepting the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

Romans 4:2-5, For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

If I am working for my salvation, I will get the wages for my labors, and I, being a sinner, do not want those wages. I do not want what I deserve, or I will end up in hell. I will trust in the grace of God only. Jesus completed all the works on the cross and is giving us (as a gift) the sinless wages he earned.  This is why we can rest in Jesus.

Our good works are not irrelevant. We can earn rewards for our good deeds, but they will not be the reason we get to heaven (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). We do good things out of our love for God and our fellow man.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a license to sin.  If, you see someone who says they are a Christian and they are living a sinful lifestyle.  Their heart has not been renewed and they are probably not filled with the Holy Spirit.  They need to repent and turn to God for salvation.  True Christians will still make mistakes and sin, but they will not be embracing that sin.

Read my article titled the Dangers of Working for your Salvation for more information on this topic.