To go off of what you said Stargazer I also think the man is literally putting up his defenses. To me it looks as though he is building a fence or barrier of some sort. He has the wand in his hand and is getting ready to plunge it into the earth to stand upright against his enemies!
The 7 of Wands is about being on the defense, and to this I think it is also about putting about barriers, shutting yourself off from others and the world out of fear and suspicion.
The 7 of Wands asks the question, are those fears warranted? Perhaps you are being paranoid. When erecting barriers take care not to isolate yourself and do yourself more harm than good!