On September 11, 2001, four groups of radical Islamic terrorists attacked the United States and radically changed ministry to Muslims. When I think of those events, two things come to mind: First, many committed believers were awakened to the need to pray and spread the love of God with Muslims (and others). And second, seasoned field-workers found Muslims to be far more open to the gospel. Perhaps more have turned to Jesus in the last 30 years than ever. Now we know that the largest culture of Muslims coming to Christ has been Iranians!

But another thing happened 25 years ago. Some serving in the Muslim world lost financial support and faced new questions as to why they were “even trying” to reach them. Fast forward to 2026. As I write, the war that the US and Israel started against Iran is paused—it seems. I’ve listened to and read sources which show that some Christians hold similar sentiments now. I am not talking about the extreme perspective of Christian Nationalism—which reflects staggering errors in understanding the purpose and meaning of the Bible.

But what is often missing is any kind of reflection as to why Iran—at least the “hard-liners”—take the position they take that America is the Great Satan. In addition to extreme views/interpretations of the Qur’an, it boils down to a very logical argument:
1.   America is a Christian nation.
2.   America is full of immorality, broken families, open sinfulness, so…
3.   America is an instrument of Satan.

Think about it. Back in the 1990s, two US-produced TV shows that were on the air all over the Muslim world were Baywatch (with loose morals and scantily dressed women) and Dynasty (with unfaithful marriages and poor relationships in life and business). So, in their minds, this is what Christians produce! I find it interesting that if you pick any one of the 10 Commandments (Exod 20), you find key elements in almost every movie plot. I guess we want to watch people sin and be drawn away from God! For the Islamic leaders in Iran, that was all the evidence they needed. The West has gone to hell in an (expensive) handbag!

Naturally, when we say that someone is a Christian, we don’t know exactly what that means unless we know who is saying it. It does not necessarily mean that they are in a vital relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It may only be that they have been born in the US to a Christian family and not in Tehran to a Muslim family or in Delhi to a Hindu family. They are “Christian” because they are not Muslim or Buddhist. Often, genuine faith does not play a part in their religious identification.

The same is true for many Muslims. All are not serious with their faith. Very few are terrorists. Most want to live in peace and take care of their families, just like most Christians—committed to the Lord or not.

While it does not justify their actions, it is easier to understand where their zeal for resisting evil, as they see it, comes from. The fact that most Americans are not outwardly immoral, like we see on TV and in movies, does not matter to them. They might say we have let our nation slide into an abyss that is largely opposed to God. Many have noted that Iran is weaker than us militarily by many measures, but this war has shown us that their deep conviction and resolve is making it very difficult to end the conflict. I believe that is based on what I’ve broadly outlined above.

In 2001, we were on the receiving end of the 9/11 attacks. In Iran, we are on the offensive. As I ponder and pray about the future of the advance of the kingdom of God, I’ve wondered if, in the aftermath of this conflict, average Muslims (or others) will be drawn to our gospel message. Will Iranians continue to come to Jesus in large numbers, or are we, as a perceived Christian nation, pushing them away? The decisions of governments have consequences we often don’t see coming. It is comforting that we can trust in God’s sovereign plan in this, as we seek to do in every area.