The Illusion of Lack

Magicians are masters of deception. With a wave of the hand or a flick of the wrist, they convince you something has vanished, appeared, or transformed—when really, it's just been cleverly hidden or misdirected. What you see isn’t the truth. It’s an illusion.

The enemy of our souls operates much the same way. He crafts illusions so convincing that we begin to question what we know to be true. He can't take what God has given us—our identity, value, or the promises of heaven—but he can distract, distort, and deceive.

He can create the illusion of lack.

We see this tactic as early as the book of Genesis. In a garden full of abundance, Satan got Eve to shift her focus.  “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1)

With a single question, he planted a seed of doubt. Eve had access to every tree in the garden except one. But Satan spotlighted that one restriction and made it feel like deprivation. The abundance surrounding her faded from view. Suddenly, it seemed as if God was withholding something good.

That was the illusion.

And it's a trick he still uses today.

Recently, I found myself caught in it. In an unintentional moment, I hurt someone with my words. I didn’t mean to wound, but the damage was still done. And that’s when the enemy moved in—not just to accuse me, but to redefine me.

“See?” he whispered. “You’re not really loving. You’re not who you say you are.”

Even though I know my intentions are never to harm, even though I walk daily in the love of Christ, I momentarily believed the lie. I forgot that my imperfections don’t disqualify me from being a vessel of God’s love. The illusion was strong—but it wasn’t the truth.

In the quiet that followed, God gently reminded me of something powerful—something I now believe someone else might need to hear too:

Your flaws, even your failures, don't disqualify you.

The enemy wants you to believe they do—so you’ll quit. Quit on yourself. Quit on God. Quit on your dreams, your calling, your destiny. He wants to steal from you.

But don’t let him.

Keep moving forward. Keep trusting God. The truth is, you didn’t qualify yourself, and the enemy sure didn’t. God did. And He already knew every flaw, every mistake, every weakness before He called you. And still—He chose you. He continues to choose you.

Your destiny is secure in Him… if you don’t quit.

The truth is this:

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” -- Jeremiah 1:5 ESV“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to His own glory and excellence.” – 2 Peter 1:3 ESV“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” -- Ephesians 1:3 ESV                                                        “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added to you.”  -- Matthew 6:33 ESV

God is not the God of barely enough. He’s the God of abundance - of overflowing, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Yet how often do we fall for the illusion that we don’t have what we need? That we’re not enough? That God is somehow holding out on us?

Like a magician’s trick, the enemy plays with our perspective. He uses emotion as misdirection. He plants doubt with carefully chosen words. He distorts truth through the lens of fear, shame, or comparison. And suddenly, what’s already ours in Christ feels out of reach.

But just as light exposes the secrets behind a stage illusion, truth exposes the lies of the enemy.

You are not lacking. You are loved, equipped, called, and covered. You are surrounded by the abundance of God, even if all you see right now is a single tree you wish you could reach. Let the Word remind you of the fullness you already carry.

The enemy’s illusions lose their power when we recognize them for what they are—smoke and mirrors, not substance.

So the next time you feel the pull of "not enough," pause. Take a deep breath. And remember: the God you serve is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask, think, or imagine.

And He’s already at work in you.

Author Violet Coots

Violet Coots is a life coach, speaker, and author passionate about helping others break free from shame, fear, and lies to embrace their God-given identity. Creator of the Still Standing series video podcast and author of a 31-day devotional, she offers coaching and prayer-based breakthrough sessions for healing and renewed purpose.