“This world” refers to the satanic system composed of many ages. The word “age” here refers to a part, a section, an aspect, of the system of Satan, particularly the present and modern appearance of that system, which is used by him to usurp and occupy people and keep them away from God and His purpose. When we were dead in offenses and sins, we walked according to the age, the modern appearance, the present course, of the world, the satanic system.

Today the world also has its modern appearance. Furthermore, the age of the world has a tide with a current. Once we walked according to the current of the present age.

When people follow the trend of the age, this is a strong sign that they are dead, that they are corpses carried along by the current of the age. I saw an excellent illustration of this... I passed by a creek which flowed down the slope of a hill.

The creek was full of dead leaves that were being swept along with the current. Among the leaves some little fish were swimming upstream against the current. Because the fish were full of life, they could swim against the current; but because the leaves were lifeless, they could only be carried away by the current.

They did not have the life to withstand the current and go against it... Once we also were dead and carried away by the tide of the age, but now that we have been made alive, the current cannot move us.