Today marks sixteen years since the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It’s hard to imagine that in a couple years we’re going to have kids in this country graduating high school who’ve only ever lived in the post-9|11 world. In fact already there are graduates who don’t remember the pre-9|11 world, since they were so young when the attack happened.

And even though a lot has gone back to normal in the past 16 years, a lot is still changed, and may forever be changed. Americans are a lot less relaxed and comfortable and “secure” than they were seventeen years ago. I can’t imagine what thoughts are racing through peoples minds as they fly in airplanes on this particular day.

And in light of the horror of 9|11 and all that has followed, it is not wrong at all to say “the devil did this,” so long as we’re sure we understand what we’re saying.

This is a screengrab from CNN’s coverage of the WTC attack. It just so happened that, in the plume of smoke and fire, an image formed that, for a moment sort of looked like a skull, or a pair of eyes with a mouth open and…maybe if you look at it a certain way, a pair of horns.

The devil. That’s what people say, at least.

Well that’s not the devil, at least not literally. He doesn’t look like a monstrous creature with nasty horns. If he was to reveal himself to us he’d do so looking like a beautiful angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). His whole shtick is deception, after all, so why would he appear in red spandex, horns and a tail with a big neon sign flashing “bad guy” behind him? That’s illogical.

Having said that – when I look at that picture I DO see the devil. When I think of 9|11 I DO think of the devil. After all, what happened on 9|11?

Hatred happened.
Religious persecution happened.
Murder happened.

There were innocent lives who were killed, souls that were still safe outside of sin who never got the chance to grow up. There were guilty lives who were killed, souls that were outside of fellowship with God but who might have repented on 9|12 had their lives not ended on 9|11.

The Devil did that.

Any time a life is lost – blame Satan. He introduced death into the world. Any time Christianity is attacked – blame Satan. He hates the Lord and all His Kingdom stands for. Any time hatred rules a man’s heart – blame Satan. As much as God and his people are love, Satan is hatred.

So yeah, I see the devil in those flames. On the other hand, I also remember what else happened on 9|11. I remember Americans of all political persuasions coming together (after a very bitter election a year before). I remember neighbors being encouraged to get to know their neighbors. I remember church attendance spiking dramatically, as people suddenly remembered death is a real thing and they might need God’s help after all.

I see God in that.

Anytime people love together, forgive together, help together and worship together, I credit God.

As with everything the Devil does, there’s a negative component that hurts, but in the end, God always wins.