Song - This Is Not The Devil's Day

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

October closes, the night is near,

The costumes, candy, pranks, and cheer.

Yet some will scorn, and some will say,

“You serve the devil if you play.”

But brothers, don't you know?

We all stand before a common throne1.

[Chorus]

This is not the devil’s day,

it is the day that the Lord has made2!

Let Satan's power shrink away!

This is not the devil’s day!

[Verse 2]

Some keep the night with doors shut tight,

some shine a lamp, proclaim the Light.

One honors God by staying still,

Another by redeeming thrill3.

So let us walk in charity,

in Romans 14 style liberty4.

[Chorus]

This is not the devil’s day,

it is the day that the Lord has made!

Let Satan's power shrink away!

This is not the devil’s day!

[Verse 3]

And what a gift the night can be

The devil brings the world to me.

They ask for tricks, give them a treat.

Show them the Lord they'd like to meet.

When Satan brings them to your door,

use it to put him on the floor.

[Bridge]

He doesn't own a second...

He doesn't own a minute...

He doesn't own an hour...

No...

This is not the devil's day!!!!

[Chorus]

This is not the devil’s day! (It's not his day-ay)

It is the day that the Lord has made!

Let Satan's power shrink away! (Shrink away)

This is not the devil’s day!

This is not the devil's day!

This is not the devil's day!

We'll take it back in Jesus' name!

Background

"This Is Not The Devil's Day" is based very heavily on my article "A brief case for the liberty to celebrate Halloween as a Christian". This is one of several articles that can be found in the "Christian Liberty" section. The song references several arguments found within the article, but primarily focuses on the concepts of "Romans 14 style liberty", the practical way in which Christians can "redeem the time", and the fact that God, not Satan, is sovereign over all days.

Ironically, while the song begins with "October closes...", the more Pharisaical Christians tend to begin their anti-Halloween campaigns on the very first day. They do, indeed, claim that those who celebrate Halloween are worshipping the devil. They even quote Anton LeVay (fantastic theologian that he was...) saying "I am glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year." In response to this assertion, the song immediately transitions into its Romans 14 motif: "But brothers, don't you know? We all stand before a common throne." This is a recurring theme throughout Romans 14, which tells us, quite emphatically, that it is God who judges His own servants, and therefore we don't get to bicker over food, drink, or seasons.

The chorus both begins and ends with the titular phrase "this is not the devil's day", with a reference to Psalm 118:24, and an encouragement to not cede Satan more power than he actually has. This is later supplemented before the bridge towards the end, stating that Satan doesn't own a second, minute, or hour. October 31st belongs to the God of eternity, and He has not singled it out as the one day a year when Christians are precluded from celebrating. It's worth noting that the article goes deeper than the song (obviously). In the article, I explain that it is possible, and indeed necessary, to avoid the genuinely sinful Halloween traditions, such as Ouija boards and demonic horror. But obviously, a 3 minute song cannot capture the full content of a 20 minute article.

The song intends to capture the "other half" of the Romans 14 issue as well, noting that "some keep the night with doors shut tight", and "one honors God by staying still". This is important, because it's easy to forget that those who are offended by Halloween are genuinely offended by Halloween. They are not honoring God by projecting that offense onto their fellow Christians, but they are honoring God by abstaining themselves. The same passages that assure us we have certain liberties also warn us that we have corresponding responsibilities. Namely, we are not supposed to offend "one who is weak in the faith" (Romans 14:1), or "destroy the one for whom Christ died" (v15). We must therefore deal charitably with each other. Those who celebrate must acknowledge the right to abstain, and those who abstain must acknowledge the right to celebrate.

With this caveat acknowledged, the song notes that Halloween is an opportunity to "redeem the time", as Scripture tells us to do, presenting a strategy for witnessing. I like to point out that Halloween is the one night a year in which, rather than us taking the Gospel out into the world, the devil brings the world to us so they may receive it.

In the extended version of this song, verses 1 and 2 are reprised, with a chorus sandwiched inbetween. I decided to cut it short at "we'll take it back in Jesus' name", however, as this is where the song was supposed to end originally anyway. However, there is also a major disadvantage to using AI: It occasionally throws in strange elements, which it certainly did in the original.

It frustrates me that this song is seasonal, because it also happens to be one of my favorite AI generated songs.

Scripture References

1. Romans 14:10

2. Psalm 118:24

3. Colossians 4:5

4. Romans 14:5-6

AI usage

This song was produced by an app called Mozart AI.