When I was growing up in a very conservative church people there would always make more out of Halloween then I thought needed to be made out of it. They always seemed to scare us into believing that those who were evil had their birthday on this day.
I was letting my kids watch a "Kids" movie, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and I didn't realize how scared my oldest (a boy) would be. He was extremely worried (and scared) by the mean dog whose name was Carface. We talked about it afterwards and I asked him who the strongest person in the whole universe was - he said God. I asked him who loved him the most in the whole wide world - he said God. And then just when I thought I was getting through to this boys heart and to his fears he asked me this question: "Daddy, are people as mean (evil) as Carface?" That was a really tough question because we all know that there is evil in this world and that people are very capable of doing evil. I responded to a five year old in only the way I could, "Yes Trey, there are mean people in this world and they can do some very bad things that God would call evil, but you have Jesus as your forever friend and he will always be with you where ever you go." I am not really sure that this gave him the solace that he was looking for nor am I sure that he truly felt consoled with this truth, because he still does not want to watch the movie anymore. What I do know is that we, who call ourselves Christian, are called to go into this world and share the good news and to be the Salt and Light of this world. Evil (darkness) cannot hide from the Light (Jesus) and wherever his light shines, then evil will flee.
James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Hebrews 4:12 says this, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thought and attitudes of the heart." What I should have said to my son, is not to worry, the victory is already won, he is risen and he sits on the right hand of God. Jesus is alive and well and no matter what fiery darts come to us, we should be clothed with the armor of God in order to stand firm and fight the fight!