Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us out of the present evil age according to the will of God. We need to see the difference between the age and the world. In Ephesians 2:2 Paul said that we once walked according to the age of this world. The world refers to the satanic system composed of many ages. An age is 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. The world is the whole system, and in this system there are different ages. Satan has formed this anti-God world system to systematize men with religion, culture, education, industry, commerce, entertainment, etc., through men's fallen nature in their lusts, pleasures, pursuits, and even in their indulgence in living necessities, such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation. The whole of such a satanic system lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19).

The present evil age at Paul's time was Judaism, the prevailing Jewish religion. Paul continues his thought about this evil age in Galatians 1:13 and 14 by telling us how he was in that age: "For you have heard of my manner of life formerly in Judaism, that I persecuted the church of God excessively and ravaged it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my race, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." This describes how Paul was in that religious section of the satanic system.

What is Satan's aim? His aim is to systematize people into his world and keep them away from God's will to have the Body of Christ. As long as we are kept away from the Body of Christ, we are kept away from the will of God and are systematized into Satan's system. Satan uses worldly entertainment, sinful things, and even religious things to systematize people away from God's will. In Paul's day, Satan used Judaism to systematize all the Pharisees, scribes, priests, and elders among the Jewish people. Today Satan uses the religion of Christianity to systematize many of the Lord's people away from God's will to have the organic Body of Christ.

Romans 12:2 says, "And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, that you may prove by testing what the will of God is, that which is good and well-pleasing and perfect." The will of God is the Body life. We need to get into the Body life. As long as we are outside of the Body life, we are outside of God's will. The main prevailing thing that keeps us away from God's will, the Body of Christ, is the age. Therefore, we should not be conformed to this age. Religion, in Paul's eyes according to Galatians, was an age, a section of Satan's system. We should not be conformed to any religion. Paul said that he had been delivered out of that. In the past, he had been in Judaism, advancing in Judaism beyond all his peers. He was a top religionist, but one day the Lord appeared to him and gained him. From that time Paul did not preach Judaism. He preached Christ, the living factor to produce all the churches.

Second Timothy and Revelation show that at the end of Paul's life and John's life, the churches had become degraded. Eventually, the degradation continued to such an extent that another religious system developed. Paul was delivered out of the age of Judaism. Today the real Christians and seekers of Christ have to be delivered out of the religious system of Christianity. The Lord's people have to hear His call: "Come out of her, My people..." (Rev. 18:4). This is the call to come out of Babylon, the religious system of Christianity.