To Trick or Treat? Talking to Your Kids About Halloween

One October 31st, we were in the supermarket when a lovely teenager in a harmless Dorothy-from-The-Wizard-of-Oz costume walked down our aisle. On seeing her, my 5-year-old yelled out passionately:

“Mum! That lady worships Satan!”
I could’ve died.

I’m not sure where she got this from—I promise you I never told her that everyone who dresses up for Halloween worships Satan—but clearly, some Halloween conversations were in order.

Talking to our kids about Halloween began for us when they started school. Before that, when Halloween costumes went up in shops, it was just:

“Yes, these costumes are yucky, but it’s just material. You can just look at something in the shop that is nice. We don’t need to be scared of these things because we have God, who is big and strong—and these costumes are just fabric.”

I never wanted to make a big deal about scary costumes and I figured I was at least teaching my kids: when you see something that’s not nice, look away.

But one of my favourite stories is when I was with my 3-year-old nephew and he saw a harmless pumpkin in the fruit and vege section of the supermarket. He came over, grabbed my hand, pointed at it and in a whisper said:

“Aunty Yivvy, that pumpkin is Hayoween.”

I didn’t realise the kids had taken it upon themselves not to look at even culpably innocent pumpkins.

By 5, they were hearing a lot more about Halloween from their friends at school and so we knew we needed to start having more thorough conversations.

Prior to this, Josh and I had already decided that Halloween was a no for our family. We did a bit of research on its origins, but for us, it was more about what it looks like today—people dressing up as witches, ghosts and zombies. While it might be in the name of “fun,” we know these things are in fact very real.

I know Christians aren’t all on the same page with this one—but to me the scripture that was always in my mind was:

“What do the sons of light have to do with the sons of darkness?”

Did I think if my kids put on a witch costume, they would instantly be possessed? No. But why go there? If they’re going to dress up, they can be Captain America—virtuous and heroic… albeit fictional.

We didn’t want to use ‘trick or treat’ night as a night where we shut the curtains and put up a ‘don’t knock here’ sign, we wanted to make it fun for the kids. Some say Halloween is a twist of ‘All Saints Day’ a day to remember those heroes of faith who have gone before us, a day to remember that we will not live forever, that everyday counts and that living for what is eternal is most important.

Amongst it all we talk and ask questions about Halloween. Here are some things we shared with our kids:

There is a God and there is the devil. When we celebrate the birth of Jesus, go to church and meet together for things like Christmas and Easter, we are celebrating God and everything He’s done for us.
Mostly without realising it, when people celebrate Halloween, they are celebrating—and making light of—things that are evil: witches, ghosts, zombies.
This is why, as a family, we do not celebrate Halloween. We don’t dress up, go to Halloween parties, or watch anything that celebrates Halloween.
When they were older, we started to explain to them about demons and evil spirits. Our intention wasn’t to scare them, but to teach them that the spiritual realm is real.
We shared how Halloween is nothing to be afraid of because God is all-powerful. Jesus cast out many spirits and has given us authority to do the same.
God is more powerful than the devil and evil. The devil always comes at us looking big and scary, like Goliath did to David. He tries to intimidate us, but like David, we have nothing to fear.
Goliath was taken down by a small stone—we also can take down giants simply by speaking scripture and trusting in the Lord.
We explained that most kids and parents have no idea about evil spirits or God and they need our compassion, not our judgment. Halloween is also a great opportunity to teach your kids how to respond to people who have different worldviews.
We pray for people we see “trick or treating”—that they will come to know how much Jesus loves them.
No one comes to our door because we live rurally, but if people come to yours, you could get your kids to help you invite them to church—with a card tied to some chocolate.

At the end of the day, our goal as a family isn’t to avoid Halloween – it’s to use it to teach our kids about God and evil and what really matters in life – and hopefully along the way make some great memories. Your family may feel completely differently and that’s totally fine! There is no one way to do this, but hopefully, regardless of what your family does, you’re able to have some great conversations and shape your children’s understanding of Halloween.

As we continue exploring this topic, we’re unpacking a key tension in the Christian life: why we still struggle with sin even though Jesus has already defeated it. Read the notes below to understand what Christ has done at the cross, what we experience today, and how God is shaping us through the ongoing journey of sanctification.

The Power of Sin

Overview
The Defeat of Sin’s Power
The Struggle with Sin’s Influence
Why We Still Struggle With Sin
The Victory We Can Have Over Sin
Conclusion

Overview

Many of us understand that when Jesus gave His life on the cross, He defeated the power and authority of sin. He became sin in our place so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Yet, it’s clear that sin is still present in the world, and many Christians still struggle with temptation and sinful habits. This can feel confusing. If sin has been defeated in Christ, why do we still struggle with it?

In this blog, we’ll explore:

The defeat of sin’s power at the cross
The ongoing influence of sin
Why believers still struggle today
How we can walk in victory over sin

The Defeat of Sin’s Power

At the cross, Jesus didn’t just deal with sin emotionally or symbolically. He broke its authority and dominion over believers completely.

We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 6:6–11 explains this clearly:

Our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

This is a decisive spiritual reality for everyone in Christ:

Sin no longer rules over us
We are no longer under its authority
We are now alive to God in Christ Jesus

Before salvation, sin wasn’t just something we did. It was something that ruled us. Paul uses the image of slavery to explain this:

“You were once slaves of sin…” (Romans 6:17–18)

A slave does not have full autonomy. In the same way, sin shaped our desires, decisions, and direction before Christ.

Freedom through Christ’s exchange.

Jesus broke that system through His death and resurrection:

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin…” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Through Christ’s sacrifice:

We are freed from sin’s power
We are transferred into righteousness
Sin is no longer our master

But this leads to an important question: If sin is defeated, why do we still struggle?

The Struggle with Sin’s Influence

Although sin’s power has been broken, its presence and influence remain in the world.

Sin is no longer our master, but it still tries to tempt, lure, and influence us. We still live in a fallen world where spiritual battle is real.

Even Jesus experienced temptation, yet He never sinned.

Scripture is clear that believers must still actively resist sin:

Ephesians 6:10–12 – We wrestle against spiritual forces
1 Peter 5:8 – The devil seeks to devour
James 1:13–14 – Temptation comes through desire

We are still in a spiritual battle

While sin no longer rules us, it still:

Appeals to our flesh
Uses external influences
Seeks to draw us away from God

However, sin will not always remain. Scripture promises a future where it will be completely removed:

“He will wipe away every tear… death shall be no more…” (Revelation 21:4)

Why We Still Struggle With Sin

To understand the tension we live in, we need to understand the three stages of salvation (Ordo Salutis):

Justification

We are saved instantly

Freed from sin’s power
Declared righteous in Christ

2. Sanctification

We are being saved progressively

Freed from sin’s influence over time
Becoming more like Christ

3. Glorification

We will be saved fully in the future

Completely free from sin’s presence

Where we live now

We currently live in sanctification:

Sin’s power is broken
Sin’s influence is still present
Sin’s presence will one day be removed

State of sin vs acts of sin

A helpful distinction:

State of sin: We are no longer separated from God
Acts of sin: We still sometimes fall and miss the mark

Being saved does not mean we never sin again. It means sin no longer defines our identity or separates us from God.

We are:

Fully forgiven in Christ
Still being transformed in daily life

The Victory We Can Have Over Sin

We are not powerless against temptation. Scripture gives us practical ways to walk in victory.

1. Identify the sin

You cannot overcome what you refuse to acknowledge.

2. Understand there is no condemnation

“There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Conviction leads us to God. Condemnation pushes us away from Him.

3. Recognise triggers

Identify patterns and remove environments that fuel temptation.

4. Repent quickly

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just…” (1 John 1:9)

Don’t delay restoration.

5. Bring sin into the light

Confession breaks secrecy. Sin grows in darkness and weakens in the light.

6. Remember your identity

You fight sin from freedom, not for freedom.

“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

7. Rely on the Holy Spirit

Change is a process empowered by God, not human willpower alone.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)

Conclusion

Jesus has defeated sin, but sin has not yet been fully destroyed.

That is why:

We are free from sin’s power
We still face its influence
We still experience the process of sanctification

One day, at glorification, sin will be gone completely. Until then, we live in the tension of already free, but still being transformed.

The good news is this:

Sin does not define you
Sin does not separate you from God
Sin does not have authority over your life

You are justified, being sanctified, and one day will be glorified.

And in the meantime, the Holy Spirit is faithfully shaping you into the image of Christ.

Flourish

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To Trick or Treat? Talking to Your Kids About Halloween