It’s that time again.

The dreaded Halloween.

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When households across America are held up for treats, lest they get “tricked.”

Even worse, it is the season when death is celebrated. Horror is normalized. Murder is entertainment.

This creates a spiritual atmosphere that literally grants demonic spirits permission to afflict.

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It was not so in the beginning.

The world was not created for satan and his hordes, and his reign is temporary.

All things — including time, days, hours — belong to the Lord.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters (Ps. 24:1-2)

The Lord designated humans as His representatives to rule and reign on earth.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Gen. 1:28).”

But we corrupted the world when we sinned.

Then to Adam the Lord said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life (Gen. 3:17).’

Sin gave satan a foothold.

The Lord instructed Cain on this very point, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it (Gen.4:6-7).”

But Cain persisted in sinful anger, which led him to commit the first murder.

Violence has escalated ever since.

Remember Lamech? He told his wives:

Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold (Gen. 4:23b-24).

Opting out of the death culture is difficult.

But, as believers, it is not impossible.

The Lord created time.

God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day (Gen. 1:5).

Like all things He has created, He can redeem it — even Halloween.

After all, He redeemed us from death, did He not?

As His representatives on earth, it is our privilege to enforce the Lord’s victory over death — and over the emphasis on death that October 31 currently has.

In Christ, mankind has regained heavenly authority — to spread the gospel — and to extend God’s governance over the earth.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:18-20).

For more information about the authority delegated to us from Jesus, check out this article published in 2023.

5 Ways to Redeem Halloween

So, how do we assert Jesus’ redemption over Halloween? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Hallelujah Service.

Our church has been hosting a service on the evening of October 31 that we joyfully call our Hallelujah service. We share a short Word and sing, sing, sing in praise and in worship.

For He is enthroned in the praises of His People….and where He is, the enemy must stand down.

Many churches offer streaming options or host their services on video services such as Rumble or YouTube.

Other fellowships are offering revival services for October 31. Here’s one being hosted in Wales to commemorate the 1904 Welsh revival (www.refinersrevival.com).

Be sure to account for any time differences between you and the event venue.

2. Study and Celebrate the Biblical Feasts.

No one can throw a party like the Lord. For real joy, immerse yourself in the Lord’s celebrations.

These feasts are His, so studying them helps us understand what He values in celebration. While they are discussed in other Scriptures, Leviticus 23 outlines all seven of His feasts in chronological order.

The Hebrew words for feasts mean appointed times. One way to think about these feasts is as appointments with the Lord — a way to meet with Him and reflect on how Jesus fulfilled these feasts and overcame death.

The 2026 calendar includes

• The Feast of Passover/Pesach
• The Feast of Unleavened Bread/Matzot
• The Day of First Fruits/Shavuot
• The Feast of Weeks/Pentecost
• The Day of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah
• The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur
• The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot

3. Pray Over the Fright Sites.

My husband, Rich (also an IFA contributing writer and prayer leader), and I are big believers in prayer walking — especially in troubled areas and over sinful displays.

Living in the heart of Times Square in New York City, we get a lot of practice.

We also live in a building filled with actors and Broadway workers because the theatre district is right here. When we first moved to this building, the amazing stagecraft of Broadway set builders and decorators was in full, gruesome display in our lobby during this season.

But we prayed and we sent our management suggestions about the decor.

For the last four or five years, we have seen pumpkins and fall grasses instead of the symbols of death and dying.

We also pray over storefronts and homes that display hideous displays and have avoided patronizing stores that continue to use these decorations.

4.  Decorate with Life.

Why should death be our decoration? What if we advertised life with the same gusto as others do death?

Perhaps the Lord will lead you to display Christian symbols of life on your lawn, balcony, house, office, or school.

Here are a few ideas:

• The Cross and the Crown
• The Lion and the Lamb
• The Fish or Ichthys
• A Dove
• The Alpha and the Omega

5. Host a Worship Party.

If your church is not having a Hallelujah service, you can join one online or even host your own celebration, using your collection of worship music.

Rich and I occasionally host worship nights and enjoy opening our apartment up for the blessing of intimate worship fellowship.

Lord, please show us how You want us to co-labor to redeem October 31. We want to change our culture from death to life! In Jesus’ Name.

How are you praying for and redeeming Halloween?

New York City–based Joyce Swingle is an intercessor, a contributing writer, and a prayer leader for IFA. With her husband, Rich, who is also a contributing writer and prayer leader for IFA, Joyce shares the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world through theater, speaking, writing, and film. Prior to going into full-time ministry, Joyce worked for close to 20 major magazines and now works in pastoral ministry and Christian counseling. www.RichDrama.com. Photo Credit: Erica Marsland Huynh on Unsplash.