“If I Were the Devil . . .”
If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate and have 4/5 of its population, but I couldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States of America.
I’d subvert the churches first. I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please!”
I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies, and threaten the movies with dirtier TV.
If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves, until each in turn was consumed! And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing; I’d have judges promoting pornography. Soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress.
And in His own churches, I’d substitute psychology for religion and defy science. I’d lure preachers…into misusing boys and girls and church money.
I would caution against extremes – in hard work, in patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned, that casual sex with many different partners is more fun, and that what you see on TV is the way to be! And thus I could undress you in public, and could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure.
In other words, if I were the Devil, I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing.
— PAUL HARVEY, March 1993
A note from Brad:
The above article excerpt from Paul Harvey was written over 20 years ago, and was published in our church’s bulletin some time ago. It seems to me to be just as true now as it was then…and our need to cling desperately to God revealed in Jesus, the Scriptures, and the guidance of the Spirit in this spiritual warfare is as dire now as it has ever been. The news may be disheartening, but God is in control!