In life, many people only see what is natural. Even though they are born again and in Christ, they only see hardship, poverty, and their natural state. That is their mentality. You know it by their words; the Bible says, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). They talk poverty, and they don't plan it-it just comes out. They complain about situations, their jobs, and their businesses. Everything seems dry and not working. That is what they see, and that is what they get. But others are different.

God wants us to see beyond our natural state. In Ephesians 2:5-6, the Bible says, "even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:". To be quickened means to be made alive. We were dead in trespasses and sins, but God made us alive together with Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He died spiritually and physically. Our sins were laid on Him, and He was separated from God. That was spiritual death-the separation of man from God.

Jesus died spiritually and physically, went to Hell, and was quickened—made alive—in Hell. His spirit came alive even while His body was in the grave. When we say someone is alive with God, it means they are spiritually alive. Before Christ, we were spiritually dead. But now, because of Him, we are alive in spirit, soul, and body.

When Christ was raised from the dead, we were raised with Him. We are now seated together with Him in heavenly places, "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named..." (Ephesians 1:21). We are far above all challenges, all natural limitations, and all spiritual opposition, because we are in Christ. God has put all things under His feet and given Him to be the head over all things to the church. The church is His body, and we are part of that body. As Colossians 1:18 says, "And he is the head of the body... that in all things he might have the preeminence".

This is why Paul prayed, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ... may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:" (Ephesians 1:17). Without revelation, we cannot see what we truly are in Christ. We may live beneath our privileges, never knowing that we are seated in heavenly places, that all power is under our feet, and that Christ is our head.

Jesus is the head, the church is His body, and we share in that authority. All things have been placed under His feet. When you understand this, you will see yourself as God sees you—in Christ, alive, seated, and empowered. Do not settle for living beneath your privileges. Open your eyes to the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and walk in the authority that is already yours.