Podcast Summary: The Bryce Crawford Podcast

Episode 144 – Can Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Release Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Bryce Crawford
Guest: Elijah Lamb

Episode Overview

In this Halloween special, Bryce Crawford sits down with Elijah Lamb—close friend and former roommate—for a lively, scripture-centered, and often humorous conversation about whether Christians can or should celebrate Halloween. The two dissect the cultural roots, historical context, common fears, and scriptural considerations around Halloween, seeking to separate myth from reality and encourage thoughtful Christian liberty.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening & Setting the Scene

• The episode kicks off with light-hearted banter as Bryce and Elijah don Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy costumes from SpongeBob (01:30).
• The main question: "Can Christians participate in Halloween, or is it inherently wrong or demonic?" (02:03)

2. Where Does Halloween Come From? Origins and Myths

• Confusion & Contradictions: Elijah notes that historical claims on Halloween’s pagan origins are often overstated or poorly supported.

  “Halloween as it exists in America...we're kind of guessing. But you'll hear people say things like, well, it comes from Samhain...There is really, really shaky evidence.” (02:58 – Elijah)

• Christian Origins: Name “Halloween” derived from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the night before All Saints Day—a Christian holiday to celebrate martyrs and the faithful departed (04:00).

  “The name Halloween is basically an old English rendering of Hallows Eve...Catholics celebrate something called All Saints Day...” (04:00 – Elijah)

3. Modern Witchcraft, Paganism & Authoritative Voices

• Modern Wicca: Wicca (modern witchcraft) is a 20th-century phenomenon, much younger than trick-or-treating. Ex-witch testimonies, while valuable, are not authoritative over scripture (04:50).

  “Anyone who's doing like witchcraft today...is practicing Wicca...It's from like the 1940s.” (05:20 – Elijah)

• Authority: “Why does that make you an authority on all things supernatural?...I think the Bible is the authority.” (05:21 – Elijah)

4. Defining Darkness and Demonic

• Caution about Labeling: Only actions directly proceeding from demons can be labeled “demonic.” Overuse of the label “waters down” its meaning (06:34).

  “If something’s going to be demonic, that means it comes from a demon.” (07:01 – Elijah)

• Romans 14 and Christian Liberty: Personal conviction around “gray areas” (like Halloween) is respected, but Christians shouldn’t force their own standards on others (07:18 – Bryce & Elijah).

5. Scriptural Foundations & Christian Liberty

• First Corinthians 10—Food Sacrificed to Idols: Paul teaches believers not to fret over possibly tainted origins; what matters is current context and intent (11:50).

  “Eat whatever's sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.” (Bryce paraphrasing 1 Cor 10:25)

• Romans 14: Don’t judge or look down on other Christians regarding “disputed matters”—whether over eating, drinking, or observing certain days (16:50–18:31).

  "Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind." (17:24 – Elijah, quoting Romans 14)
  “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (18:31 – Bryce)

6. Potential Dangers: “Giving a Foothold to the Devil”

• Misuse of Ephesians 4: Simply celebrating Halloween (i.e., kids dressing up for candy) is not a “foothold” for demonic activity; true footholds come from unrepentant sin (24:11).

  “Scripture says that unrepentant sin gives the devil a foothold.” (24:11 – Bryce)

• Sin & Deception: Only sin and false teaching allow demonic influence, not decorations or cultural participation (25:16).

7. Common Claims About Halloween: Evaluated

Timestamp for segment: 29:31–51:38

Bryce presents viral social media quotes/concerns to Elijah for response.

• Claim: “Costumes, jack o' lanterns, trick-or-treating are demonic in origin.”
  Response: Their origins are debated, and even if they were, 1 Corinthians demonstrates that the spiritual power of former idols does not persist through cultural adaptation (30:11).

  “Pumpkins don't gain a demon the moment you carve them...that's not how demons work.” (31:38 – Elijah)

• Claim: “Weeks before Halloween, witches and warlocks are taking back God’s territory.”
  Response: “That's not how that works. Everything is the Lord’s and the kingdom of God is winning.” (37:19 – Elijah)

• Claim: “Church of Satan says costumes swap your identity in the spirit.”
  Response: The Church of Satan is a 20th-century atheist organization. The concept of spiritual identity-swapping from costumes is unbiblical and superstitious (41:06–42:59).

• Claim: “Seances and sacrifices prime the Halloween atmosphere.”
  Response: No scriptural evidence; isolated occult acts don't define the whole holiday.

• Claim: “Demons come out of your TV when watching horror films.”
  Response: Demons are not omnipresent or omniscient; the “contagion” model is unfounded. Bryce and Elijah both dislike horror films for personal reasons, but warn against superstition (43:52–48:13).

  “You don't catch a demon like you catch a cold.” (46:56 – Elijah)

8. Cultural Participation, Consistency, and Christian Witness

• Consistency with Legalism: If you’re going to be strict about Halloween's alleged origins, apply the same rigor to all of life—which few actually do (31:40–32:31).
• Christians and Culture: Many “evil” things are inventions of culture, but the Faith can and has redeemed former darkness. The American Halloween is primarily a secular, communal, and often innocent celebration (48:13–49:27).

  “Halloween is like families coming together, communities hanging out...those are good, Christian, biblical things.” (48:27 – Elijah)

9. Personal Experience vs. Biblical Authority

• Bryce calls for a scriptural and historical basis for Christian belief and practice—not mere personal experience or social media conjecture (49:30–51:38).

10. Final Reflections & How Christians Can Celebrate Halloween

• If your conscience doesn’t permit Halloween, feel free not to participate. If you do, ensure your actions are wholesome, modest, and glorify Christ (51:38–52:08).

  “Just make sure that what you're doing on Halloween is glorifying to God...what you can do to glorify God outside of Halloween is going to be done on Halloween.” (50:59 – Bryce)

• Memorable:

  “I promise you, Elijah and I do not have a demon because we are in SpongeBob costumes.” (51:38 – Bryce)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Don’t think too little of the devil, but don’t think too much of the devil.” (02:03 – Bryce, referencing C.S. Lewis)
• “I have an admiration for those who avoid Halloween because they want to avoid any kind of darkness...But they don’t get to define what darkness is.” (07:01 – Elijah)
• “When you call something a personal conviction, you are saying, ‘I have this opinion from the Spirit,’ and that’s not the way Paul describes it...” (08:32 – Elijah)
• “Christianity conquered paganism. W W. Get lost w. Jesus.” (51:38 – Elijah)
• “Just stay sober, dress modestly...Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are perfectly chill, and I think you’ll be fine.” (52:08 – Elijah)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 01:30–02:28 | Episode intro and Halloween controversy setup | | 02:29–04:50 | Historical and Christian roots of Halloween | | 04:50–07:01 | The modern “witchcraft” debate & scriptural authority | | 07:01–10:32 | Defining “demonic” and personal conviction | | 10:32–12:49 | First Corinthians 10: Culture, origins, and liberty | | 14:18–16:32 | Paganism today vs. paganism in antiquity | | 16:50–18:31 | Romans 14 read-through and application | | 24:11–25:16 | “Foothold for the devil” unpacked | | 29:31–36:28 | Social media claims debunked (costumes, witches, etc.) | | 41:06–42:59 | Spiritual “identity-swapping” via costumes | | 43:52–48:13 | Do horror movies invite demons? | | 48:27–49:27 | Halloween’s communal and cultural value | | 51:38–52:39 | Final thoughts, encouragement, and prayer |

Conclusion

Bryce and Elijah’s tone is thoughtful but relaxed, blending humor, candor, and a nuanced application of biblical principles. Their position:

• There is no biblical mandate forbidding Halloween; Christians have liberty, guided by conscience and scripture.
• Be wary of extrapolating spiritual realities from tradition, fear, or social media hearsay.
• Whether you participate or abstain, do so with faith, in a way that glorifies Christ and loves neighbor.

If you want a thoughtful, balanced, and historically-aware Christian perspective on Halloween—from spongebob costumes to jack o’ lanterns—this is your episode.

End of Summary