“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” — Romans 16:20
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Many people were inspired to hear about Hulk Hogan getting baptized a few years ago, but nobody knew how little time he had left on earth. His incredible size and strong personality made him well-suited to be a professional wrestler. He stood 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 295 pounds with big, bulging muscles. But his given name, Terry Gene Bollea, wasn’t the ideal stage name, so he was known as Hulk Hogan. Before matches, he got the crowd going by saying, “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkmania runs wild on you?!” And then he said, “Let me tell you something, brother!”
Hogan became one of the best wrestlers in the world. One of his fiercest opponents was Andre the Giant who stood 7 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed 520 pounds. In one of their championship matches, the giant knocked the world champion down several times and Hogan looked dazed, confused and weak, but he regained his strength and picked up the huge man, body slammed him and won the match. It was called “the body slam heard around the world”.
But if we stop and think about it, Hogan won the most important match of his life when he asked God to bodyslam the devil for him and not allow Satan to rule over him any longer. For many years, wrestling brought Hogan fame, fortune and everything the world offers, but God showed him that the devil had too much power over him and he needed to humble himself, resist Satan’s schemes, and be a man of God. So God softened his heart and he became a believer in Jesus Christ.
Hogan spoke about his conversion as “total surrender and dedication to Jesus.” He went on to say he had to put aside his ego, seek forgiveness for his selfish behavior, and ask direction from God. His testimony is an inspiration and a reminder for us to make sure we’re prepared for eternity because our lives are fragile and uncertain.
And honestly, we’re all tempted by Satan daily. We need God’s help to cleanse our minds of greed and selfishness. If we struggle with which side to choose, we should listen to Jesus who showed us that the devil eventually destroys everybody who follows him. Even though the devil pretends to be a friend, he’s trying to steal everything good and wholesome from us and turn us away from God. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
The devil is a deceiver and a destroyer. He was the first scam artist and he’s busy with his demons at all times. The Bible tells us to understand the bad intentions of Satan and rely on Christ to overcome temptation. We need daily preparation for the grudge match against our eternal souls. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
We may struggle against Satan, but his last day to cause trouble is coming. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20a). Make sure you are right with God today!
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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