IF I WERE THE DEVIL​​​​​​!

Ephesians 6:10-11 – Devotional

Ephesians 6:10-11

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.“

I always enjoyed listening to the late Paul Harvey on the radio. His comments were so penetrating and direct that it seemed as if he knew where we all lived.

It was about 60 years ago that he delivered the following message that seems somehow to be prophetic.

IF I WERE THE DEVIL by Paul Harvey (broadcast April 3, 1965)

“If I were the devil . . . if I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness, and I would have a third of its real estate and a fourth of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree . . . THEE!

“So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first. I’d begin a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as  you please.” To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what is bad is good, and what is good is “square.”

“And the old I would teach to pray after me: “Our Father, which art in Washington.” And then I’d get organized.

“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 vice versa. I’d peddle narcotics to who I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

“If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, and churches at ware with themselves, and nations at war with themselves, until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

“If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions–just let hose run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing. I’d have judges promoting pornography.

“Soon I could evict God from the courthouse, and then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science.

“I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

“If I were the devil, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

“And what will you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as a way to get rich. I would caution against extremes in hard work, in patriotism, in moral conduct.

“I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on TV is the way to be, and thus I could undress you in public, and I 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 right on doing what he’s doing!”

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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