Riaan Swiegelaar is a former leader in the Church of Satan who had a supernatural encounter with Jesus Christ. During the month of October, he is sounding the alarm about the demonic realities of Halloween. He spoke to CBN News to help peel back the curtain for us, stressing the importance of Christians praying around this "highest day on the Satanic calendar."  

Swiegelaar's Warning About Halloween

"So many people have no idea, you know, the significance of Halloween and what it means to celebrate Halloween. And I think it's also largely due to it has become part of popular culture without many people really thinking about what it represents. And I think what's even more concerning is that there's even Christians who are celebrating Halloween. 

Now, there's so many things to say here, but I think an important thing to start with is that Anton LaVey, who was the original founder of the Church of Satan in the States in the late 60s, had a very well-known quote where he said, "It makes me so happy to see that Christians are allowing their children to celebrate the devil one night of the year." And what we are doing if we are celebrating Halloween as Christians, you are actually having a one-night stand with the devil. That's a simple way to put that. 

But everything about Halloween and what it represents and it's all about death. First and foremost in that context, but if we take it to the Satanic context and why it's such an important day on the Satanic calendar, and also the fact that it is the day of the year where there's the most human sacrifice around the planet. And quite often in or during Halloween, and All Hallows' Eve that evening, is also when people climb the ranks in the occult and in Satanism by practicing and by doing certain things."

Halloween Establishes Hot Spots of Demonic Activity

"So we have an atmosphere, a spiritual atmosphere of the celebration of death and the revels of death. And we know that the enemy came to kill, steal and destroy. And the Devil has never changed his modus operandi as the Word teaches us. But we can definitely see that in the last few years, it's like the enemy is roaring more loudly. And it is because people have become despondent. People have been desensitized through the media and through various things about the occult and the realities of Satanism and things that's going around in the world globally. 

Therefore, a very easy way to desensitize children to things like death and demons and gargoyles and you name it, is something like Halloween. And then furthermore, if we think of a neighborhood or an area where there is a few homes that is celebrating Halloween, that whole perimeter becomes a satanic ritual by definition. So it is like a hotspot for demonic activity. And you are opening doors to the dark side of the spirit world when you are doing those things and engaging in those celebrations."

The Night of the Most Human Blood Sacrifices

"So in Satanism, there is blood sacrifices. And you will notice, for instance, that during the month of October, we see the most missing people cases or notices of the most missing people. And especially the vulnerable parts of society like the homeless and people like that is definitely a target. And I mean, I'm talking from experience of being involved in Satanism for five years as well and facilitating certain rituals and things where there was sacrifices of especially animals. 

But I obviously know of what was going on globally around the world during that time. So blood has a currency in the spirit world. So blood is a physical thing, but it has a currency in the spirit world. So if you want to make negotiations or bargains or deals with the demonic, that is why you bring certain blood sacrifices. And the more pure a soul is considered to be, the higher the currency of that blood is."

The Holy Blood of Christ Is the Highest Currency

"So we can also surely say, or I can definitely say today, coming from a background like that and having encountered Christ just over three years ago, the blood of Jesus is the highest currency in the spirit world. That is why it's so powerful and why it covers everything. And obviously, when we are in Christ, we are under that covering and we have that authority to pray in His name and to pray His blood, whether it is over our families or ourselves, we have that authority. And like I said, the blood of Christ is the highest currency because all blood does have a currency in the spirit world. 

And it's interesting when I talk to other people who come out of Satanism or out of the occult who has firsthand experienced things and also encountered Christ and got out in that way, they will testify to the same thing. So you cannot really compare what happens in the occult in terms of witchcraft and ritual to the power that is Jesus Christ, once you've got to know both sides of that equation."

Halloween 'Sweetens' Children to Attract Demons

"But coming back to Halloween, so it is unfortunately, it doesn't stop at, it's as simple as a home gets decorated with skeletons and there's candy that's handed out to children. And people think it's innocent and dress up in costumes, but the true meaning behind it is to disguise yourself in a certain way to attract certain demons and to sweeten the situation up for children. That's why there's candy. So people don't really think about the deeper meaning of these things.

And I'm also very sad to say that 80% of Christians don't actually have discernment because if you have discernment and if you listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, you will not partake in these things."

Christians Should Honor God by Honoring Life

"You cannot sit at the table of God or the kingdom of God and drink from a cup of another table. And God is very clear in His Word about certain things. And we have to remember what Christ represents by the works of the cross and the works of the resurrection. And it is about life and it is about honoring. We should honor God for life because God is the creator of everything. But the devil, the enemy, corrupts and imitates things. So the enemy cannot actually create anything. The enemy only imitates certain things and then corrupts it.

So I always tell people, if you are unsure, pray about it and hear what God tells you about it. And I can guarantee you anything that has to do with celebrating death or partaking in a night of the year or even the celebrations leading up to that is definitely not of the kingdom of God."

The Spirit World Is Real: There Are Only 2 Realms

"And we have to understand in the spirit world, which is around us, it's not somewhere up there. The realities of the spirit world is around us. And in the spirit world, there's only two things: 

The kingdom of God, which is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Everything else that falls outside of that. 

So there isn't really a gray zone."

CBN News Host Raj Nair: Demonic Decor & the Spirit Realm

Raj Nair: "Well, let me ask you this, brother. You talked about discernment. When I'm walking around our current neighborhood right here and I see these demons, I mean, I am known as the prude Christian because, man, I am just like repulsed by this stuff. I mean, you know, like these little dolls from the ring and these demons hanging off like a lot of doors. It's not like one crazy person. It's like everywhere here in San Diego.  There's people with like heads chopped off and these like, I mean, just grotesque-looking satanic beasts. You walk into Lowe's or Home Depot, you look to the left, it looks like hell. I'm like, what are we doing here? And so I've become that guy where I'm just like, I can't even walk into Lowe's or Home Depot because I just feel so much ugh. It really just repulses something deep in my spirit.

But let me ask you this, my brother, maybe in closing, but what about the people, not just the, 'oh, it's just a little hocus pocus, it's just a little candy,' but maybe have the other side of the token where it's like, 'Dude, calm down. Like, there's no spirit realm. You're talking about some abstract concept.' As someone who's seen both sides of this, maybe walk through the tangibleness of the spiritual reality, the realness of what's actually happening?"

Demonic Oppression in Homes Is a Very Real Thing

Swiegelaar: "So I cannot actually stress this enough. And I mean, I'm in a ministry today where we are dealing with constantly people who are demonically oppressed because they allow certain things into their home. So Halloween would just be another thing. And every year for the last three years, when November comes, we are having people call to us that there's major infestation and oppression in their homes. 

And you'll also see the realities of the aftermath. So if you think back and anybody watching this can think back when they had friends who went through hectic relationship trouble, when they had friends who went through sudden financial trouble, all of it is in November. And it is the aftermath of what is actually happening because of October and Halloween."

READ: Ex-Satanist Was Performing Satanic Ritual … Then Jesus Showed Up