I do realize that what I’m about to say may offend some of you. After all, Halloween is what we make of it, right? I mean, we don’t dress our children like devils and we keep them out of the haunted houses. We let them go as a cowboy or a nurse, and go around the neighborhood so they can collect a little candy. There’s no harm in that, right? WRONG!

Now, before you "click" me off, let me tell you that I used to be the number one "holiday observer". It didn’t matter what the holiday was.  It didn’t matter if I even knew what the holiday was. If it was on the calendar, I decorated the house for it. I saw it as fun and educational for our daughters. I didn’t understand why some of my friends were so against Halloween. To me, it was just another holiday. Until one day.....

"And a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6).

Here’s what we learned: Halloween customs began long, long ago. They came from the priests of ancient Gaul and Britain. These druids believed that on the evening of October 31, witches, demons, and spirits of the dead roamed the earth. So they would light bonfires and carve grotesques faces on pumpkins or turnips with candles inside to drive the evil away. To protect themselves further from mean tricks of the demons they offered treats of good things to eat. Then they disguised themselves so they would not be recognized, as they believed some of the spirits were their own dead relatives come back to "haunt" them.

This is where we get the tradition of playing trick or treat, carving pumpkins, lighting candles, dressing up in costumes, and wearing masks!

God had my attention. Were we really participating in something demonic? I dug deeper.

Satan gives his servants certain powers in exchange for serving him. Among those powers are the ability to control health, the weather, prosperity, the future, reviving the dead, and controlling the spirit world! (Let him who has ears listen!) Some of his followers are called witches. One of their most important Sabbaths is the night of October 31, Halloween. It is a night dedicated to worshipping the devil, desecrating sacred objects, performing obscene sexual acts, and offering animal and human sacrifices.

God showed me that even though we weren’t celebrating Halloween as a night for Satan I was still allowing seeds other than the "whatever" seeds to be planted. Satan is a subtle, crafty enemy. He can use what we mean for good and pervert if for his evil. We must constantly be on our guard. We must allow God to guide us in every step, in every decision, in every activity our families are involved in.