When Satan Roars

“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

Happy Halloween! Trick or treat! Today is annual spook day as masks and costumes make their neighborly rounds. The fear factor also haunts this Wiccan new year’s eve (marking the start of the winter solstice). Originally known as “All Hallows Eve” (shortened to “hallo’een” by the Irish), it’s the night before All Saints Day, a largely Catholic commemoration for the dead and the anniversary date of Martin Luther’s famed 95 Theses that sparked the Reformation.

Halloween means different things to different people. For some it’s pure evil (and rightly so given the fact that nearly every Halloween tradition—from jack ‘o lanterns to trick or treating to bobbing for apples—is rooted in occult or pagan rituals). For those committed to the occult, neo-pagan and earth religions, this is a night for celebration. For others, it’s simply a sweet start to “candy season” (Christmas, Valentines and Easter). For still others it’s a chance to be a kid, donning costume and masking identity to enjoy a fun night of freedom, friends and food. If nothing else, it’s an opportunity to gather, whether as neighborhoods, churches or communities.

Regardless of the reason, it’s also a night to respect the words of Peter: be self-controlled and alert. Danger lurks in the dark and the Evil One is clearly unmasked tonight as everything from séances and sorcery to vandalism and other vices mark the midnight hour. Evil will be on the prowl (it’s called “Devil’s Night” in Detroit) so be careful and take precaution. Stand firm in your faith that greater is God within you than the demon or devil at your doorstep. And if tonight proves a night of suffering (I pray that it isn’t), then stand courageous in the knowledge you are not alone.

Halloween isn’t just child’s play. It’s serious business. The Devil will openly prowl. Trust me, I'm not "lion."


NOTABLE QUOTABLES ON SATAN:

“There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan” --C.S. Lewis

“We may not pay Satan reverence, for that would be indiscreet, but we can at least respect his talent” --Mark Twain

“Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan” --John Bunyan

“The will is a beast of burden. If God mounts it, it wishes and goes as God wills; if Satan mounts it, it wishes and goes as Satan wills; Nor can it choose its rider... the riders contend for its possession.” --Martin Luther

“I often laugh at Satan, and there is nothing that makes him so angry as when I attack him to his face, and tell him that through God I am more than a match for him” --Martin Luther

“I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him.” --St. Teresa of Avila

Father, tonight is a night both a night of fun and fear in our culture. Thankfully, we know Your Perfect Love casts out all fear. Give us courage this day to stand firm in our Faith. Give us spiritual insight to remain alert for the Evil One. Give us ears to hear his roar and eyes to see his shadow. We ask also for protection and peace upon all people tonight, but especially the saints around the world who suffer for Your Name. Amen.