Parenting/Bible Discussions/Resources

By Summer Lane

Photo: Deposit

With Halloween upon us, the conversations surrounding the purported “spookiness” of the day are likely a topic of conversation in your house. Here at the CCM blog, we’ve dissected the roots and traditions associated with Halloween on several occasions. But we’re not talking about Halloween today – although Halloween can be a relevant connection here. 

Today, we’re discussing the reality that our world is embroiled in very real spiritual warfare. Consider Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Or how about 1: Peter 5:8? “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

The Bible often reminds us to stay alert, stay sharp, and remain self-disciplined. We don’t want to be weak when the Devil comes knocking. We don’t want to be compromised when the demonic tries to assert its influence over our lives. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

As we playfully poke fun at ghostly Halloween costumes or silly horror movies, we should all be asking ourselves one important question: is this inviting something spiritually dark into our lives? Are we opening the door to demonic influence, even if something seems harmless? While you must assess things like this on a case-by-case basis and use your discernment, it’s important to remember that while there may be some ambiguity on treat-or-treating, there is NO ambiguity in the Bible on engaging in practices like witchcraft:

¹⁰ 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, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ¹² 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. (Deut. 18:10-12)

“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” (Exodus 22:18)

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

These are a few examples of the very serious language surrounding using “magic” or divination in any form. It’s a good reminder: God takes this very seriously, so we should, too! Let’s not open the door to this kind of dangerous behavior. Remember, King Saul’s death at the hands of the Philistines was preceded by a desperate and extremely forbidden visit with a witch, who conjured a spirit who identified itself as the Prophet Samuel. (1 Chronicles 10:13) He was unfaithful to the Lord. He sought out help from someone who was dealing in the demonic, and as a result, Saul lost his life.

In the New Testament, Paul witnessed a group of new believers who previously practiced magic and sorcery publicly burn their scrolls in public to demonstrate their commitment to Christ. In that region (Corinth), many, many people were openly possessed by demons. Is it possible that this demon-infested city was so plagued because its inhabitants had been engaging in all manner of witchcraft and divination? It’s very likely, indeed. (Acts 19 is where you can find the whole story!)

Clearly, demons are just watching and waiting to get a foothold in the life of a non-believer, and are waiting for those who ARE saved to stumble and open themselves up to weakness and temptation. Don’t let him! Guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Don’t be afraid of Halloween. Instead, shine a light! Practice and celebrate this day – which marks the day when Martin Luther King nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the wall of the Castle Church in Wittenberg – in a way that is fun and God-honoring. Stay away from the darkness and instead, embrace the light.

*

Partaking in Forbidden Practices Opens the Door to Demonic Attacks? – Shea Houdmann

Do you have a pressing question that you need answered? Shea Houdmann has the answer. In fact, he’s got thousands of them! Shea is the founder and CEO of Got Questions Ministries, one of the most frequently visited Christian websites in the world, with an average of 16 million page views every month. He talks about one of the site’s most popular questions: can Christians be demonically oppressed or possessed? Based on Scripture, Shea doesn’t believe a Christian can be possessed (1 John 4:4), but that doesn’t mean that Christ followers can’t open themselves up to spiritual attacks if they are partaking in activities that invite demonic oppression, like fortune telling, viewing disturbing horror movies, lying, stealing, etc. “The Holy Spirit indwells all believers, so it is inconsistent with Scripture to assume that true Christians can be possessed by any demonic spirit,” Shea explains.

Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 30 books, including the hit Collapse Series and Resurrection Series. She is an experienced journalist and editor who is covering the White House and Trump administration. She owns Write Revolution News.

Summer is also a mom and wife who enjoys rural country living, herding cats, and gardening. She is passionate about writing on women’s issues, parenting, and politics from a theologically-grounded perspective that points readers to the good news of the gospel.

Download Our New Counter Culture Mom App to get our trending news and pop culture alert notifications. Connect with other parents in the Parent Chat section to gain helpful ideas on how to counteract the Pop Culture Cult!

Be sure to contact us if there is an issue you would like to have us write about! Our mission is to help parents deal with today’s lifestyle trends and how to biblically navigate them.