Thirteen years ago today, I flew to Denver with some colleagues for a meeting. I went for a run the next morning. When I got back to the hotel, I learned the first of the two World Trade Center buildings had been attacked. I went back to my room, turned the television on and watched as the second tower was attacked.

I attended our scheduled meeting, but was very distracted. It wasn’t long before we learned all air traffic had been grounded, so we wouldn’t be flying home that day. We decided to keep our rental car and began the drive back to Arkansas on the afternoon of 9-11.

I realized that day that life had changed. We would now be a country at war. Having grown up in New Jersey and seen the New York city skyline countless times, the attack on our country felt personal to me. I also knew my children would grow up during war time.

Today, my oldest daughter is married to a Marine. He has fought in Afghanistan. My second daughter’s husband is in the Army. He has also fought in Afghanistan. My son graduated from high school this year and enlisted in the Navy. After basic training, he will try to qualify for a role in a Navy Special Warfare unit.

As we’ve seen in recent days, the war against terrorism goes beyond Iraq and Afghanistan. The Islamic State and other Muslim terrorist groups are on the march in numerous countries. They see Jews and Christians as enemies to be destroyed, not other faiths to live in peace with.

By the way, I do not believe all Muslims are evil or terrorists. I had lunch last week with a friend of mine who is a Muslim. My family has been to his home for dinner. And a number of years ago, our family had a Muslim man living with us.

There is, however,  a radical element of Islam that is bent on destroying the nation of Israel, the United States and other western countries. Because they cannot be negotiated with, I believe they must be defeated. And that means war. When the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, God instructed them to kill the inhabitants of the land. These were people who had turned from God, hardened their hearts against Him and were worshiping false gods and idols. It was so bad they even sacrificed to these gods by burning their own children.

God had given the inhabitants of the land of Canaan hundreds of years to change their ways, but they continued in their sinful ways. And so God used the nation of Israel to destroy them.

Terrorism is not new. The father of terrorism has been at it for a very long time. He is also the father of lies. In John 8, Jesus said:

Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!  For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

In the book of Revelation, John wrote about powerful, pain-producing locusts that are released during the end times: Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.

The battles we see playing out on earth are the manifestations of the battles also being fought in the unseen spiritual realm. Satan–the liar, the murderer, the destroyer–seeks to “steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) In the same verse, Jesus said He came to give us “a rich and satisfying life.”

My other daughter just graduated from college and is moving to Germany to serve with the ministry of Young Life. She will introduce German college students to the One who offers that rich and satisfying life.

You and I, whether we like it or not, are in a war. As I type these words, my son is in the other room watching President Obama’s speech on dealing with the Islamic State (ISIS). I wish it wasn’t necessary for my son and sons-in-law to fight. But we’re in a war and I’m very proud of them for serving our nation and for ultimately fighting to push back the spiritual darkness on earth. I’m proud of my two married daughters who make great sacrifices being married to men in the military. I’m equally proud of my daughter who will leave the comfort of home and move to another nation for eight years because God has “…rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”