October 31st is a day of festivities, but what one chooses to celebrate on this day can differ. To the Celtic pagans this holiday is known as “Samhain,” a time (usually from October 31stto November 1st) to rejoice in the harvest and honor the “Lord of Death” known as Samhain. This was a time when the Celtics believed that spirits could walk the earth, and many of their rituals paid homage to this god or was designed to ward off the evil spirits and welcome in their ancestors (with cake or stories). This tradition dating back to the druids is very similar to the “Day of the Dead” (November 1st) celebration in Mexico, although many others also revere this day. When it comes to Satanists, Anton LaVey (Founder of the Church of Satan) holds this day in high regard because dressing up with the intent to celebrate Halloween means you are giving the devil an invitation. He quoted: “I am glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year. Welcome to Halloween.” When Christians are not ignorantly participating in this “festival of fear,” they are viewing it as the day the Lord hath made and it has been redeemed as “Reformation Day.”
On October 31st, 1517, a German Monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the “Castle Church” in Wittenberg, Germany. This one action while mocked by the Roman Catholic church prompted the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther’s intent was to garner attention and address the corruption of the church with its man-madetraditions such as the selling of indulgences (a monetary payment for remission of sin or a shortened sentence in purgatory) and the belief that salvation comes from good works. The five solas of the reformation were written to admonish believers: sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone). This is an evangelical creed that set apart the “Reformers” from the Roman Catholic Church theology. This ideology supports the true church which is the “Body of Christ.” The church is NOT the building, it is the people. In Ephesians 5:29-30 the Apostle Paul explained — “For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.”
The reformed theology reveals that Scripture is God-breathed (divinely inspired) even if written by the hand of man and is the jurisdiction of the church. Jesus is the son of God, and the ONLY way to the Father, as told in John 14:6 — “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” It is by our faith alone that we receive what blessings God has for us and believing in the remission of our sins when we accept Jesus Christ into our heart. Salvation cannot be bought with gold; it was already made “free” by the blood of Jesus Christ when He was sacrificed on the cross. This salvation comes ONLY from grace alone, by Faith alone, not works. – (Ephesians 2:8-9) It is by the Grace of God that we have been redeemed. In Romans 6:14 this is confirmed — “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Finally, it is God alone to who we give glory, not the Pope, not Mother Mary, not the President of the United States or the Queen of England, or even ourselves. Glory to God in the Highest, Amen!
God has divine sovereignty, even Satan was once Lucifer, created for worship, so even the Lord knows the plans of the devil and has dominion over the demons. This does not mean that God causes evil to happen, but He does have authority to stop it if he chooses. Think of it as a board room meeting where the devil brings his plans to the table, and God determines what can be done and sets the limitations. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 — “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” This is where many Christians get the idea that God will not allow them to go through anything they cannot handle, after all He knows our hearts. All believers need to acknowledge that they are not the ONLY ones going through something, this is common, and it is only because of sin in the world. But everything we experience can be used to refine and purify us like silver.
It is also because of the wickedness of men that we have celebrations such as Halloween. It is also because of our sinful flesh that when someone tries to expose this deception, even Christians will fight to defend an evil holiday because it makes their flesh content when they give into gluttony with the candy and believe dressing up as a spooky character on this day is just a time to be silly, but it is viewed by evil as glorification of evil. Mark 7:20-23 explains — “And He said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.’” When the world says, “follow your heart,” think about this verse in Scripture. We are born into sin, and the things of the world but we are given an opportunity to overcome the world and embrace the ways of Christ. Follow the Holy Spirit and give not the appearance of evil.
On Halloween, there is a desire to dress as witches and ghosts and we think it is fun (because of that draw to the darkness in our hearts). But if we live by Scripture, Deuteronomy 18:10-13 says — “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.” Do not follow your wicked heart, follow the Holy Spirit in you. If we live by Scripture, we know we can celebrate this day as holy and redeemed not as pagan practice and ritual but through the revolution of the Reformation because this is a day the Lord hath made and this is the day the Lord our God’s Spirit moved a man to action like the Apostles in Biblical days to bring truth to the light, a time a man took up his cross and brought back the True Light!
