There are many peaks of victory, and the ground of ascension is broad; there is room for movement and growth. However, Ephesians shows us that the heavenly places (chapters one and two) are the very places where the enemy dwells (chapter six). Walking on the mountaintop and looking down from there inevitably bring us into an encounter with the lions' dens and the leopards' mountains. The earth is the place where the lions roam, and the world is where the leopards devour. Yet the lions' dens are in the heavenly places, and the leopards' mountains are also in the heavenly places. Before we know ascension in an experiential way, all that we encounter on earth is the enemy's work. After we know ascension, we will dwell in the very places where the enemy dwells. We must not only be aware of the enemy's work, but we must engage the enemy face to face. The emphasis regarding lions in the Bible is on their roaring. Hence, their work is primarily that of posing threats. The emphasis regarding leopards in the Bible is on their fierceness. Hence, their work is primarily that of devouring.

The Lord has called the maiden to the ground of ascension. Yet He has never said that everything will be rosy. He shows her that even in a life on the peak, lions and leopards are closer to her than ever before. Those who do not understand Ephesians 1 and 2 do not understand the spiritual warfare in chapter six, but those who know ascension realize the reality and nearness of the enemy. Nevertheless, the Lord is still beckoning us to look down from this place. Our mountaintop is still the truth, our mountaintop is still the armor, and our mountaintop is still victory and destruction. Heavenly things can be clearly discerned only in heavenly places, while earthly things can be discerned clearly only with a heavenly view. Heaven is the only place to oversee everything. We often do not look from heaven. Rather, we explain many things with an earthly view. The result is nothing but foolishness. Even the smallest thing on earth must be seen from the heavenly position. Otherwise, we will not be clear even about the smallest thing. Yet looking from heaven is looking from the place of the lions' dens and the leopards' mountains. In exercising our observation, we cannot forget the enemy. If we look from heaven, we will not fail to see the relationship between everything and the lions' dens and the leopards' mountains. Those who have a mountaintop view are able to capture the enemy's view concerning everything. Hence, those who observe from the "promised ground" of God's peak will also see things from the view of the enemy's interest.

Spiritual warfare is first a matter of position, and second a matter of view. Without position, we cannot identify the enemy himself, and without the heavenly view, we cannot identify the deceptions of the enemy. Without these two things, there can be no warfare, and we cannot fight.

This is an unprecedented call! It is a great and fearful call! Naturally speaking, it is extremely difficult for a weak maiden to climb up the mountain and go to the high ground. How much more forboding it is to be beside the lions' dens and the leopards' mountains! But the maiden has heard the call. How should she answer?