I'm moving on in years, but I tell you I still want to kick the

In the words of Reinhard Bonnke, the fiery evangelist whose voice thundered across continents, we hear a cry that is both humorous and heroic: “I'm moving on in years, but I tell you I still want to kick the devil before I kick the bucket.” This is no idle jest, but the proclamation of a man who, even in age, refused to surrender his mission. He saw life not as a slow decline into death, but as a battlefield upon which one must fight until the final breath. His words reveal the spirit of those who will not let years weaken their purpose, but instead let age sharpen their resolve.

At the heart of this saying lies two great truths: first, that time is short, and second, that purpose is eternal. Bonnke admits that he is advancing in years, yet he refuses to let age silence his fight. To “kick the devil” is to continue resisting evil, despair, and hopelessness in all their forms. To “kick the bucket” is the inevitable end, death itself. Between these two realities, Bonnke declares his choice: to fight for light until the very moment he departs this world. Such is the courage of the warrior of faith, who sees no retirement from the struggle against darkness.

The ancients would have honored such a spirit. Consider Caleb, the companion of Joshua, who at eighty-five years old declared, “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out… Now give me this mountain.” Age did not quench his fire; instead, it gave him fiercer resolve. Likewise, Bonnke speaks with the same zeal, proclaiming that advancing years are not an excuse for passivity, but a summons to greater boldness. The true measure of a life is not in its length, but in the fire that burns until its end.

History, too, offers us examples of this relentless spirit. Winston Churchill, well into his later years, stood before the British people in their darkest hour and declared that they would never surrender to tyranny. Though his hair was gray and his body heavy with age, his words carried the vigor of youth and the strength of destiny. He “kicked the devil” of despair with the iron boot of courage, showing the world that even in later years, a man can rise as the shield of nations. Bonnke’s words echo this spirit: age may slow the body, but it need not silence the mission.

His saying also reveals something deeply motivational: that resistance to evil is itself life-giving. To give up, to accept decline without purpose, is to die before death comes. But to continue striving—to speak truth, to serve others, to fight injustice—this keeps the soul ablaze. Bonnke’s humor makes his resolve all the more powerful, for it cloaks a fierce determination in the cloak of lightheartedness. His laughter is the laugh of defiance, the refusal to let even death rob him of his fire.

The lesson for us is clear: do not surrender your mission simply because years have passed. Age is not the end of usefulness, but the proof of endurance. As long as breath remains, purpose remains. Whatever your “devil” may be—whether despair, injustice, cruelty, or fear—rise each day determined to strike one more blow against it before you fall. For it is better to die as a fighter for truth than to live as one who has already surrendered.

Practically, this means carrying purpose into every season of life. The young must not waste their strength, and the old must not despise their influence. Even when the body weakens, the tongue can still speak encouragement, the mind can still guide, and the heart can still intercede. Find your way to fight until the end. Encourage the discouraged. Stand for justice. Speak with hope. And when the final day comes, let it be said of you that you did not leave the battlefield quietly, but with courage.

So let us remember Reinhard Bonnke’s wisdom: life is short, but the fight for good is timeless. Whether in youth or in age, strike boldly against darkness. Refuse surrender. Let every breath be a weapon of light. And when at last you “kick the bucket,” may it be with the joy of knowing that you first gave the devil one last, mighty kick.