For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms. ~Ephesians 6:12
X(yz+1): In my seventy-two years, I’ve watched a world once anchored in shared moral guardrails slowly drift into confusion. Things we knew were wrong, harmful to families, faith, and personal responsibility, were tolerated, then celebrated, and now normalized. The change didn’t happen overnight. It happened because we allowed it to.
IF I WERE THE DEVIL:
In 1965, legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey delivered one of the most haunting commentaries of his career. At the height of the Cold War and cultural upheaval, Harvey imagined how evil would subtly infiltrate a nation—not with tanks and bombs, but with moral erosion, confusion, and spiritual decay. His calm, steady voice made the message even more unsettling. He didn’t shout. He reasoned. And in doing so, he painted a picture of decline that many listeners, then and now, find eerily familiar.
Harvey suggested that if he were the devil, he would not attack openly. Instead, he would “whisper,” dividing families, undermining faith, cheapening virtue, and redefining right and wrong. He spoke of normalizing what was once shameful and shaming what was once honorable. The power of his message lay in its subtlety: evil would not look like evil. It would look progressive, sophisticated, even compassionate. It would slowly reshape culture until people no longer recognized the ground shifting beneath their feet.
Nearly six decades later, many feel as though his warning has unfolded in real time. Though countless good and decent people still exist—neighbors who love their families, workers who serve faithfully, believers who pray quietly—their voices often seem drowned out by louder currents. Cultural tides move quickly, amplified by technology and media, and long-held beliefs that once formed the bedrock of communities now appear fragile, even outdated. What was once assumed is now debated; what was once sacred is now scrutinized.
For some, this feels less like ordinary social change and more like something spiritual in nature. The apostle Paul wrote in Epistle to the Ephesians 6:12 that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers… against spiritual wickedness in high places.” That passage reminds believers that the deepest battles are not merely political or cultural—they are spiritual. If Harvey’s monologue resonated in 1965, it may be because it echoed this ancient biblical truth: that unseen influences shape visible realities.
Whether one interprets today’s challenges as cultural cycles, moral drift, or spiritual warfare, Harvey’s broadcast continues to provoke reflection. It calls individuals not to despair, but to awareness. If evil advances quietly, then goodness must live courageously—spoken, practiced, and defended in everyday life. In a world where many feel silenced, perhaps the greater task is not to shout louder, but to stand firmer, anchored in conviction, faith, and personal responsibility.
Not Too Loud, Not Too Soft, We’re Just Loud Enough
DISCLAIMER: Other than watching a few episodes of Gray’s Anatomy, House of Cards,
St. Elsewhere, Billions, and Star Trek, I have no medical, political, financial, or
space exploration experience of any kind. Zero, zilch, zip, nada…
Push Your Boundaries 