A Soldier on the Devil’s Night

The room was dark and cold as the young boy knelt beside the bed. There were tears in his eyes as he prayed, “Dear Jesus, I need your help today. Please bless Daddy in prison and take care of him. And help Sam, too, and Betsy and Anne.” A slight sob escaped him as he said haltingly, “I reckon that Momma is happier up there with you… And forgive Grandma for all that she’s done.” Then he said determinedly, “And Lord, help me do what is right no matter what happens. Amen.”

“Listen, young man, you are going trick-or-treating, whether you like it or not!” Bobby’s grandmother stood before him like an erupting volcano. “If you give me more trouble about this, you are going to go dressed like the devil, as well.”

It was at that moment that Bobby saw the way of escape that the Lord made for him (1 Corinthians 10:13). “Grandma,” he said, in a quiet, respectful voice, “if I have to go, may I go as a preacher?”

His grandmother stared at him with a frown. “All right,” she said finally.

Bobby spent Halloween morning in his bedroom, and the result was a lot of rolled-up little papers. He placed a small rubber band on each, and put them in his trick-or-treat bag. He was glad Grandmother didn’t seem to notice them.

Wearing a white shirt and dark trousers, Bobby walked quietly beside his worldly grandmother into the darkness of the devil’s night. He carried his bag of messages in his hand. In his heart he wanted most of all to let his light shine for Jesus in the midst of that darkness.

All around him were witches and ghosts, movie stars, and weird creatures. Even though the horrible costumes were worn by little children, who did not realize what they were doing, it was still awful. With all his heart, Bobby abhorred that evil and asked Jesus to help him be brave.

“Trick-or-treat!” the children chanted excitedly as an elderly man opened the door. This really meant that they would play mean tricks on him unless he gave them treats—the candy. But most of the children did not know this. As the man began dropping candy into their open bags, some of them began to complain that it was not the kind they wanted.

Bobby watched from the back of the crowd, and stepped forward when the others left. He didn’t hold out his bag for candy, but took a little rolled up paper to put in the man’s hand. The man was surprised at his unselfishness and plain clothes. When Bobby walked away, the man looked after him thoughtfully.

The man opened the little paper. In clear, typed letters it read:

“Dear friend, I do not believe in Halloween. I was forced to go tonight. I believe God is not pleased with this. In the Bible it says: ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’* (Exodus 22:18) ‘There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.’* (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) When children do these things, it makes the evil seem not so bad. If you love Jesus, please don’t celebrate Halloween, for it is the devil’s night.”