Certainly, nothing to get concerned about, right?

The problem, however, lies in the billing. The Harvest Party is usually referred to as the Christian alternative to traditional Halloween hijinx. (Hijinx means practical joke.) Alternative, however, implies substitute. It assumes our children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won't be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them to spend Halloween in celebration.

Christian parents must teach their children to separate themselves unto God and to refrain from giving place to the devil every day of the year, but especially during Halloween, when there is more demonic activity upon the earth than at any other time of the year. That is why God's people must pray on Halloween.

If we are to train our children to be soldiers in the army of Christ, why would we sign a pass for them to go on leave when the battle is escalating on the front lines?

As a child of four, I contacted the first of many spirit guides (read: demons) while playing with a Kindergarten classmates' ouija board at a chaperoned Halloween party. This spiritual assault ignited an intrigue with the supernatural that culminated in my lifestyle as a practicing witch: divination, necromancy, channeling, astrology, psychic ability, and spell working. It wasn't until I was twenty that I met the real Jesus Christ, and was released from the trap that Satan had set for this young prisoner of war sixteen years earlier.

There are too many casualties on Halloween and far too few troops fighting the enemy. Instead of partying on Halloween, teach your children how to fight. Keep them aware that the fight isn't against occultists, non-Christians, Christians who feel differently than we about Halloween, or institutions that promote Halloween, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers or darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

How do we teach our children to wrestle spiritually?

October 31 is the Feast of Samhain. It is an unholy Sabbath observed by occultists worldwide. It began as Baal worship. It became a Druidic festival of death and human sacrifice was the featured attraction. Human sacrifice remains on the menu today.

Human sacrifice is merely not "on the menu." Human sacrifice is the primary goal of Halloween and is practiced by Satanists and higher level witches. Because the majority of people do not practice literal human sacrifice on Halloween, Satan has turned Halloween into a multi-billion dollar per year industry--so that everyone will be easily enticed to symbolize human sacrifice via Halloween rituals. That is how important human sacrifice is to the celebration of Satan's Halloween --whether the human sacrifice is literally accomplished or symbolically accomplished via Trick-or-Treating.

Instead of celebrating, what's a Christian to do on Satan's feast day? PRAY! Intercession and spiritual warfare should be the first item on our agenda. It is NOT a last resort!

Join with other families in the church. Have the pastor announce a night of spiritual battle. (If your pastor is reluctant to do this, pray for him to be strengthened in faith. Jesus Christ came to destroy the powers of darkness. His ministers are to walk as he walked, not appease his yet-to-be-sanctified congregation.) Organize a group of Christians parents and students from your children's school or homeschool group. As a family, designate the seven nights before October 31 as Family Prayer Outreach nights.

Pray for protection. Pray over both those who engage in prayer warfare and over those who will be out trick-or-treating or at Halloween parties. October 31 is a prime recruiting time for witches and Satanists. During the Halloween season, child and pet abductions rise dramatically. Pray that the Lord keeps our kids from falling prey to those who worship the enemy.

Pray for discernment. Let the Holy Spirit direct you to specific prayer requests. Pray that the children who are "out there" will somehow "know" to keep away from certain activities. I have relatives who, even though they were not Christians, "knew" that ouija boards and levitation games were dangerous.

Pray that the Lord hinder the occult rituals. For four years, I lived in a building which over looked a cemetery where occult ceremonial markings were often found. ON certain occult feast days, usually between midnight and 3am, I would look down into the darkness and kneel at my window binding the demons that controlled the ceremonies. I'll never know this side of heaven what effect my prayers had. Maybe a potential sacrifice escaped. Maybe the occultists weren't successful in summoning their demon. Maybe a new, young recruit decided that this was not the lifestyle he thought he wanted. (Praying against human sacrifice is effective and it saves lives!)

Pray for the salvation of the occultists. Jesus Christ died for those whom Satan holds captive and deceived, for those who mock Him, who deny His deity or His existence. He doesn't want them to perish, but to come to Him calling Him Father, Lord. Pray the veil is lifted from their eyes, the Lord allows them to see clearly their spiritual condition and their only hope lies in Jesus Christ. Pray also, about whether the Lord would have you take a more active role in bringing the gospel to Satan's servants. See: How to Pray Against Halloween

Let your children know that this is effective warfare. They must know their prayers are heard and acted on by our Father. Let them know they can make a difference. Come October 31, they'll know they have a job to do. (source: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/halloween.html)

The terms, "Harvest Festival", "Fall Festival" and "Hallelujah Party" are commonly used today in addition to the phrase, "Harvest Party." Many churches have their Harvest Festival on a weekday before October 31st (especially if Halloween falls on a weekend.) Regardless of the name changes,  these parties are held as an alternative to traditional Halloween celebration.

Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ need to be fasting and praying the week before Halloween, not having parties so their children will not miss out on the things the world runs after. If you don't teach your children to abstain from Halloween, which is obviously evil, how do you expect them to be able to discern Satan's more subtle wiles on down the road?

For parents with younger children, I suggest that you pray with them and ask God to protect people on Halloween and stop Satan's workers from hurting others. Pray that people would come to faith in Jesus Christ and not have anything to do with Satan who is very bad. Just keep it simple and on their level. If any children come to the door, take your children with you to the door and politely tell the trick-or-treaters that you have no treats because you are Christians and do not celebrate Halloween. Then ask them if you may share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ -- how they may be reconciled to God and live with him in Heaven one day. See if they are willing to engage in conversation about this. (MORE about evangelizing on Halloween.)

Spend Halloween evening with your children doing non-Halloween and non-Halloween-alternative activities. You could every so often stop and pray briefly with them, asking God to protect the trick-or-treaters who don't yet understand that celebrating Halloween deepens Satan's strongholds in their lives. Make it a time of sweet fellowship with your children as you teach them that their God is not their belly, and Jesus' commandments are not grievous; his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

God requires his people to withstand in this evil day (not participate in evil in an "alternative manner") and having done all,to stand:

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph. 6:13

Notes:

(1) Halloween and the Forces of Darkness http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract10.html Note: This url is for documentation only. I do not recommend Last Trumpet Ministries.

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