06/04/2026
“If I Were the Devil…”
John 14:28, Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world (devil) cometh, and hath nothing in me.
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 four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — ‘you’. So, I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. 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 to, “Do as you please.” (Gen 3:3-6).
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’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square (Isa 5:20)’.
And to the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington… (Mark 12:17).
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 overshadow TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills (1 Pet 4:3).
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 its turn was consumed (Gal 5:15). And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have riveting media fanning the flames. If I were the devil, I’d encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions; just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door (Eph 6:4).
Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting po*******hy — soon I could remove God from the courthouse, 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 (1 Tim 6:20). I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil, I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle (Ex 20:2-7).
If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want (i.e., vagrants, migrants, etc.) until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious (2 Thes 3:10).
And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and 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 the TV is the way to be (1 Cor 15:33).
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.”
Ephesians 2:2, Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (devil), the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
-paul harvey- (1965)
