Paul Harvey, the iconic news commentator and radio pioneer, was known for his distinctive style and powerful insights. At the height of his career, his voice reached over 24 million listeners across the United States.
While he was known for his accuracy, few could have predicted just how eerily prophetic his words from 54 years ago would turn out to be.
Today, his 1965 broadcast, If I Were the Devil, feels more relevant than ever.
On April 3, 1965, Harvey delivered a speech that many now see as a chilling prediction of modern-day society. Beginning with the words, If I were the Devil…, he laid out a vision of moral decay and societal shifts that, at the time, seemed unimaginable—but now appear startlingly real.
In his speech, Harvey described how the Devil would methodically work to corrupt the world—especially the United States. He spoke of spreading whispers that encourage people to do as they please, convincing the youth that faith is outdated, and influencing the media to glorify immorality while making decency seem dull.
He warned that education would prioritize intellect over emotional discipline, that entertainment would grow increasingly vulgar, and that people would be lulled into complacency with drugs and alcohol. He envisioned a world where courts would reject God, religion would be replaced by psychology, and the true meaning of holidays like Christmas and Easter would be lost.
Harvey’s words didn’t just critique the times—they served as a cautionary tale. And now, more than five decades later, many believe his predictions have come true.
For those who remember listening to Paul Harvey, his voice was one of wisdom and clarity. In the 1970s, I used to listen to him with my mom, and even then, his words carried a sense of deep truth. Looking at the world today, it’s incredible to realize just how accurate he was.
A remarkable man with an incredible gift for insight—his message is more important now than ever.
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