Dr. Stephen Phinney
Halloween is a demonic holiday ‘dressed up’ in demonic imagery that somehow justifies its roots in “All Saints Day” – a Catholic holiday celebrating the dead. While the Druids organically founded the tradition, the first organized Satan worshippers, the church through the ages adopted it as a “holy holiday.”
Folks, there is nothing “holy” about this demonic celebration. The Celtics used the event to scare off “ghosts” by dressing up like witches. They believed that summoning the dead to come forward from their graves was the best solution to combat the evil side of the dead. Let’s see here, calling forth demons to fight demons is a solution. Of course not. However, this became the foundation of civilized humans dressing like demons that dominate our culture today. Billions of dollars are made from costumes, movies, games, candy, and online trolling. In 2021, more money was made in the marketplace than in Christmas sales. Today, Halloween is a “cute” holiday, mostly for our children, to scare the “Hell” into people to get a bag of candy.
Many “believers” use this demonic holiday to promote Jesus Christ. While there is nothing wrong with using ridiculous celebrations to lead others to Christ, the challenge is most are doing exactly what the Catholic church did – blending the demonic imagery with Christian beliefs. Reader, this is called Apostasy.
Christ reveals that seducers are more dangerous enemies to the Church than persecutors. In this discourse, He mentions the appearance of false prophets three times.
The appearance of these seducers was the occasion of dividing the people into parties and factions, which made their ruin easier and speedier, and the sin of the many that were led aside by them helped to fill the measure. Secondly, it was a trial to the disciples of Christ, and therefore agreeable to their state of probation (trial) that they, which are perfect, may be made manifest. This is the message for the Bride—that we would be perfected by staying on our toes – resisting demonic imagery at every turn.
APOSTASY OF GRAVEN IMAGERY MUST COME
Most conservative Christians are annoyed by other “Christians” who are liberal in their thinking—not believing the Word to be literal. In the end times, many Bridal members will view God's Word as primarily “cultural,” not literal or absolute. Christ warned us of these times. By the way, we are in those times right now. This period of Christianity is called the Apostasy—there will first come a falling away. We may not be in the middle of the Great Apostasy, but we certainly are entering the warm-up phase.
The primary evidence we need to watch for is the Bridal members becoming more offended by what Christ says rather than what non-Christians say. This is why the acceptance of demonic holidays is rated higher in America within the Christian Church than in the celebrations of Jesus Christ. Bridal members abuse the Scriptures to prove their “rights” as humans – resulting in dressing like demons “just for fun.” It has become my overall experience as a counselor because I have much better working relationships with non-believers than most Christians. That is a sad story. These are just the “birth pangs” of Apostasy.
The Apostasy will not be within civil government but in spiritual or religious matters, sound doctrine, instituted worship, church government, and holy life. The apostle Paul speaks of great Apostasy, not only of some converted Jews or Gentiles but also Christians. I refer to it as gradual Apostasy. The Apostasy's purpose is to reveal the rise of the Antichrist (Satan). The best way to do that is by deceiving people into promoting his graven image. Take note of this: no sooner was Christianity planted and rooted in the world when a defection began in the Christian Church. Satan starts an apostasy whenever God lays absolutes down, and the self-proclaimed Christians begin resisting authority. We see evidence of this in our culture today. If you study the first-generation Church, you will see the evidence of this slow fade. As soon as Jesus ascended, Satan descended on the Church to lay the cornerstone for the Great Apostasy.
The warning for those who believe God in what He says must be prepared for Satan to create in us a “falling away” each time we decide to “put our foot down.” Apostasy always follows covenant unless blocked by embracing absolutes.
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).
The suffering state of the Bride of Christ in this world is represented in this passage. In a very instructive manner, if we attend to what is plainly and necessarily implied, together with what is fully expressed, we will experience joy.
It is implied that troubles and afflictions may be the “lot” in life for most Christians, even though many “spoiled” or “overprotected” believers resist this. We can walk in a constant state of joy yet endure grievous afflictions. Joy does not mean living a pain-free life. The Bride of Christ must not think it strange if they encounter troubles. These outward afflictions and troubles can only provide a temptation to walk in despair; they cannot force us to give up our joy. Satan uses hardship and suffering to draw men to sin and deter them from their duties as Bridal-members.
The Word says that Satan’s followers dress in sheep's clothing to disguise themselves as being wolves. Halloween tends to be a demonstration of deceived believers dressed in demon costumes to cover a covert admiration of demons. That seems upside wrong.
What are we to do about Halloween? Nothing. Leave it to the people of apostasy. After all, it IS their holiday. While our family uses many secular holidays to advance the Life of Christ, this is one annual event in that we make a statement of Christ by NOT acknowledging Satan’s worship of his dead relatives.
