In Romans 12:2 Paul charges the believers not to be “conformed to this age.” The age is the present, practical world life. The combination of all people, activities, and things outside of God is called the world. The age designates that part of the world which we contact at the present. The world is the entire organization used by Satan to usurp man, whereas an age is a fraction of this organization, a part of this world system. There are many ages within this organized world. Therefore, Ephesians 2:2 refers to “the age of this world.” “This world” refers to the satanic system composed of many aspects. “The age” refers to a part, a section, an aspect, the present and modern appearance, of the system of Satan, which is used by him to usurp and occupy people and keep them away from God and His purpose. Therefore, the world signifies the whole, and the age, the part. We can contact only the age, a part, but not the world, the whole. Usually we say that the world possesses us. In reality, only part of the age possesses us, not the whole world.
The Greek word for “age” in Romans 12:2 can be translated “modern.” To be conformed to this age means to adopt the modern fashions outwardly. The believers should not be modern according to the present age.
We have seen that everything, everyone, and every matter have been systematized by Satan and made a part of his world system. In such a situation, where shall we go? The answer is that we need to go to the Triune God for His dispensing. Only the Triune God has not been systematized by Satan. Along with going to the Triune God, we also need to go to the Word of God. Therefore, because everything, everyone, and every matter have been systematized by Satan, we need to flee to the Triune God and His Word.
Through the dispensing of the processed Triune God the believers can overcome Satan, the Devil. “Satan” in Greek means adversary. He is not only God’s enemy outside of God’s kingdom but also the adversary within God’s kingdom, rebelling against God. The Greek word for “Devil” means slanderer. The Devil, who is Satan, accuses us before God and slanders us before men. If we still love the world, we shall have no way to overcome Satan. But if we do not love the world, we shall have the position to overcome him.
According to Revelation 12:11, we can overcome Satan “because of the blood of the Lamb.” The blood of the Lamb, which is for our redemption, answers before God all the accusations of the Devil against us and gives us the victory over him. We need to apply this blood whenever we sense the accusation of the Devil.
To overcome Satan because of the blood of the Lamb means to apply the blood of the Lord Jesus as our covering and to take the Lord’s blood to counter Satan’s accusations and attacks. Because we are still on earth and in the body of flesh we cannot help but have some defilement, corruption, weakness, shortcoming, and other undesirable conditions. When we fight with Satan, the first thing he does is to point out all the weaknesses and shortcomings in our conscience and then accuse and attack us. At such times we need to know the power and effectiveness of the blood of the Lamb. We can apply the blood to answer all of Satan’s accusation, and thus we can be strong and of good courage before the enemy and fight with him.
As we wage war against Satan, we must see the blood and declare that we are under its covering. This blood is the prevailing blood, and it speaks and implies a great deal. Only God and, to some extent, the Devil know how much the blood implies. But whether or not we know all that the blood implies, as long as we apply it, we shall have all it implies. Therefore, we can overcome Satan because of the blood of the Lamb.
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