There are two things that I feel have a grip on the hearts and minds of people in a way that I've never understood. I'll only mention one today:
Halloween...
The one day a year where Christians, with reckless abandon celebrate a Satanic holiday.
I know, I know - I've been the rounds with people on this one: "The origins are "the day of the dead" and it is actually a day to remember your dead ancestors!!! It's not bad, it's good!" Or, "We just do the fun side of Halloween. We don't have our kids wear scary stuff. It's just for fun."
Yet, that is not what is being done on Halloween, is it...
Here is a screenshot of an email I got for Relief Society to make fall table runners:
What happens on Halloween:
Christians decorate their homes with skulls, demons, cobwebs, ghosts, witches, tombstones, evil faces, and dress their children up and then they tell their kids to do what they have always told them not to do: run around in the dark of night and take candy from strangers. All in the name of, "fun!" and "it's for the kids!" and... "it's only one night a year".
John Ramirez, a former Satanist, said that you would never, ever see a Satanist say to their friend, "Hey, it's Good Friday, lets put up the cross and sing to and worship the Lord Jesus Christ."
And yet, we Christians have no problem crossing over to the dark side just one time a year. We have songs and clothes and decorations that rival even that of Christmas!
About 5 years ago, once my husband and I came to this realization - we sat our kids down and explained what Halloween was actually celebrating. We asked if they wanted to keep doing Halloween, and guess what - once they understood the truth of what was going on, not one of them ever looked back. They don't want to participate in it. Instead, we go out to eat (the restaurants are dang empty on Halloween)! Later we come back home and watch a family movie together with candy. End the evening with prayer and it makes for a great night.
This post is to ask you to consider what you are opening yourself up to when you put dark objects ("decorations"), even the goofy ones, in your home. What are you doing when you're participating in something that comes from a darker realm.
I've had to ask myself why a lot of LDS people haven't recognized the evils in Halloween (myself included). I think its because we don't really talk about Satan and "the dark realm" in the church. Probably .01% was delved into in any General Conference in 40 years about Satan's tactics. Why? Well, we don't like talking about "dark" things: "Focus on the good! Don't look at the cross of Jesus, look at His life!! (link)" Another reason is because I think we don't really believe he (Satan) exists. Oh, we know he's "there," but we have near zero comprehension that he or his minions are actively working to bring us down every moment of every single day.
2 Nephi 28 warns us strongly about Satan:
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well (link)—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. (link)
22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. (link)
I highly value the ministry "Wild At Heart." They have taught me about the battle I have often been nearly decimated by but oblivious to. Here is an excerpt:
THE GREAT INVASION
“I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
~Jesus
You were born into a world at war.
There may not be a more clarifying truth for you to grasp in order to understand life in this world, at this moment. You were born into a world at war.
The Christmas story is told from heaven’s perspective in the book of Revelation. We sing “Away in a Manger” and “Silent Night,” but look at what was actually taking place:
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule the nations with an iron scepter...And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven...Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:1-5, 7-8, 17)
In Mere Christianity, in the chapter he so rightly titled “The Invasion,” C.S. Lewis tried to clarify our situation: “One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe—a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death, disease, and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees...this universe is at war.”
You were born into a world at war.
How else do you explain terrorism? Young girls kidnapped and sold into the sex trade—by the millions? School shootings? The number of young people dying of drug abuse each year? Really now—what is your explanation for evil in the world?
Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days, we will not understand life. We will either blame ourselves or others or God for the terrible things happening to us. And we will not know how to overcome.
For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
The scriptures could not be more clear: we are at war. If you would overcome, you must learn how to fight as you have been commanded. You can overcome!
Here is former Satanist John Ramirez explaining, in his own words, a slice of what goes on during Halloween: (link)
I recommend looking into more videos, podcasts, and books from Wild At Heart (link). Also look for more videos of John Ramirez speaking about his conversion to Christianity. It will open your eyes to things you hadn't considered about the battle we are in.
