Do You Have the High Ground?
The Hunter by Andrew Wyeth
It's important to get our perspective as we look at this painting. Someone is up in the treetops looking down. It's the fall season and someone can sit in the branches fully camouflaged without anyone knowing it. As you look down from the branches you see a lone hunter wearing a red cap and walking with his gun. He is quite unaware that he is being watched from above.
This painting illustrates the urgency that St. Peter had in writing to the fledgling Christian church. He says this, "Watch out. Your enemy the devil prowls around looking for someone he can devour." 1 Peter 5:8 If the hunter doesn't keep watch all around him, he'll miss that he is an easy target for whoever or whatever is in that tree.
Satan doesn't want to lose even one of us to God. So he knows how to stalk us, walk with us, and at just the right time devour us.
Whoever has the high ground has the advantage.
If we don't know our place in Christ, then Satan will be looking down at us ready to devour us at just the right time. The truth for all believers in Christ is this: "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:6
That means, that while we physically have our feet on the ground, spiritually we are seated with Christ in the presence of God. We are in powerful company looking down at our problems and our enemies.
You and I are meant to be the ones in the tree. We already have the high ground if we belong to Jesus. God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him. If we forget our position in Christ then we unwittingly let Satan have the advantage while we become the unsuspecting hunter in this painting.
Whatever you face today, if you belong to Jesus Christ you face it in victory. That's because you are seated with Christ and looking down at the problem. God has already solved it and you need only to await his timing to see your deliverance.