Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Gen 3:1-5)
What would be on top of the agenda for you if you were the Devil? Personally, I think I would be very happy to continue to head the Islamic religion as it best fits the cruelty and hatred that I would espouse. We could note from the introductory text that the Devil is quite cunning. He chooses his gullible targets well in
Eve. Eve is tender hearted and trusting, so he approaches her with a question. Satan always begins with a question – “Hath God said?” He causes us to question our faith, our values, our traditions, and our God. Even as he begins with a question, he always ends with a frank denial of God’s Word – “Ye shall not surely die!” This is his ultimate objective in destroying the Man and woman that God has made.
Many readers of the devotion may remember the wonderful devotions of Paul Harvey, aired daily on radio. Below is such a devotion which, though a bit quaint for the modern mind, nevertheless holds up eternal truths:
If I were the Devil!
If I were the Prince of Darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.
I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population (a rather conservative figure), but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple of the tree.
So I should set about, however necessary, to take over the United States and Canada.
I would 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.”
To the young, I would whisper, “The bible is a myth.” I would convince them that “man created God,” instead of the other way around; I’d whisper that “what is bad is good and what is good is square.
In the ears of the young married I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. I would caution them not to be “extreme” in religion, patriotism, in moral conduct.
And the old I would teach to pray – to say after me – “Our father which art in Washington.”
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 infiltrate unions and urge more loafing, less work. Idle hands usually work for me.
I’d peddle narcotics to whom 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 would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions; let those run wild.
I’d designate an atheist to front for me before the Highest Courts and I’d get preachers to say, “She is right!” (Madalyn Marie O’Hara)
With flattery and promises of power I would get the courts to vote against God and in favor of pornography.
Thus I would evict God from the courthouse, then the schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress.
Then in His own churches I’d substitute psychology for religion and deify science.
That way men would become smart enough to create super weapons but not wise enough to control them,
If I were Satan I’d make the symbol of Easter and egg . . . .
And the symbol of Christmas a bottle, or some old man. . . .
If I were the Devil I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. Then my state police would force everybody back to work.
Then I could separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines and objectors in slave-labor camps.
If I were Satan I’d just keep on doing what I am doing and the whole world would go to Hell as sure as the Devil.
Paul Harvey
POSTSCRIPT: Most of the Devils objectives have been, or are being, achieved as we speak. He has subverted the morals of the United States and Canada calling into question the foundation stones of our Republic. He has even gone further than Mr. Harvey could imagine in putting to death millions by use of illegal drugs and diseases of sexual origins. He has created wars around the globe that are unending destroying many of God’s crowning achievement in Creation – mankind. He has promoted abortion to the point of actually murdering children not only before, but AFTER, live birth. He has managed to have the Bible and Prayer removed from public schools and every public place. He has convinced the ignorant hordes, created by an education system gone from educating to indoctrinating, to destroy our statues and memorials of the past that remind us of our national journey. (just like ISIS did in Syria and Iraq). He has corrupted our morals to the point that we scarcely can tell the difference between the sexes. He has subverted the Holy Institution of Marriage and promoted the abominable sin of homosexuality. He has promoted wicked men and falsely accused the best of our public servants who would rise to power. Don’t you believe that Satan so far has had great success? But fear not: I have read the end of the book. Satan loses!
“Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
