The Solution Against Witchcraft This Halloween is Soulwinning, NOT Witch Hunting
One of the stupidest things that might happen is to utterly misquote Exodus 22:18 which says, "Suffer not a witch to live." to justify any witch-hunting session. It would be crazy to imagine what if a local Baptist parish has the pastor preach a sermon that declares all witches must be killed. Just imagine what it would be if we have a Baptist parish who preaches a sermon, perhaps very out of context, out of Exodus 22:18 and every verse that goes against witchcraft, to justify the practice. What might e worse (hopefully not) is when this assembly will go witch-hunting in Siquijor instead of soulwinning the lost. Maybe it might even be something to hold a special evening service on Halloween (which happened to be also the day of the Reformation's beginning)... to have a special witch burning session. The pastor preaches, he condemns the witches, he reads verses against them and then the parishioners get their torches, burn the witches and the pastor says, "God has been pleased!"
The more I read the Old Testament law, the more I think I am really not going to make it outside the grace of God. Just think- I've been into idolatry, blasphemy, disrespect of parents, lustful thoughts (which is already adultery) and MANY MORE before I got saved, which for one, I really deserve to be stoned to death as much as those witches! When you think about it in John 8:1-11, we read the story of the adulterous woman. Now listen, we may often ignore the context. Some may reason out the other truths like the man wasn't there, that the Pharisees were just trying to trap Jesus but we may fail to see another message - undeserved forgiveness. As you see, when Jesus said, "Let he who had no sin cast the first stone.", He also showed we just deserve as much stoning as the adulterous woman. Jesus who knew no sin, cast not the stone but instead, the woman who jumped into Him, was forgiven of her sins and told, "Go and sin no more."
Witchcraft is no different from every other sin. James 2:10-11 is clear that you just need to break one law to be a violator of the Law. The Ten Commandments is God's perfect standard. Witches are guilty of violating already the first commandment when they worship any other god, everyone has been guilty of that too. When witches practice witchcraft, they commune with the Devil... then again entertaining dirty thoughts is also communing with the Devil. In fact, God hates witchcraft but He takes no pleasure in the death the wicked but the wicked turn to righteousness (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11) and the truth is, witches are included.
Witch-hunting is not even the instruction of the Bible. The battle against the occult is not the witch or wizard but the spirit that enslaves them. The problem with Halloween is not the witch or wizard, it is Satan who influences people. Ephesians 6:12 says that the problem is spiritual, not physical. All what the Christian can do this Halloween is to evangelize. If they happen to spot a witch, preach to them the Gospel. The witch has Satan, the Christian has Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:4 says that Christ is greater than they who are in the world. And who knows, how many more witches will be converted to the truth in Jesus Christ with soulwinning this Halloween?