When the Enemy Says “You Can’t,” God Says “I Can”

• By candidasullivan
• October 17, 2025
• No Comments

Do you feel stuck in a place of hopelessness?

I know that ache—the heaviness that sits in your chest when you can’t see a way out.
I’ve been there, sweet friend. In that place of hopelessness and feeling so incredibly helpless.

The enemy can paint very vivid, real pictures of doom and gloom. He wants to scare us and make us feel as if we are stuck. Hopelessness is one of his most powerful lies. If he can convince us there’s no way out, he can silence our faith.

Please hear me when I speak these words:

You are not stuck.
Your situation is not hopeless.

Ephesians 4:27 KJV
27 Neither give place to the devil.

The truth is, what feels like a setback might actually be a setup for something greater.

Instead of believing things won’t get better, let’s switch our minds to the opposite. What if God is aligning everything right now to answer your prayer and deliver you from pain?

What if, instead of worrying about what might go wrong, we decide to praise God for all the good in our lives and for the prayers we believe He will answer?

Ephesians 4:23 KJV
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

We can’t always change our life’s circumstances, but we can change our perception of them. God taught me this through my scars.

For so many years, I hated the scar on my right arm. People often stared and made comments. For years, it made me feel shame—as if I wasn’t good enough, forced to carry that shame on my body.

Then one day, God opened my eyes. He showed me how close I came to losing my arm—that the band pressed against the bone had nearly taken it. For a few days, I focused on everything I do with my right arm, and it brought me to tears. Without this arm, my life would be so much more complicated.

Now, I see the scar with gratitude. I don’t care who stares, because it represents God’s love and mercy for me.
What once made me hide in shame now makes me lift my hands in praise.

Warriors have scars. It means we went through a battle. While the enemy attacked us and tried to destroy us, God protected us. We have the scars to prove it.

We get to decide what things mean to us.
Will we praise our enemy by complaining, or honor our Lord by giving thanks?

Reflection Questions

1. What situation in your life currently feels hopeless? Can you invite God into it today?
2. What “scars” has God turned into symbols of His mercy for you?
3. How might you shift your thoughts from worry to gratitude this week?