The prayer of faith is the great strength of the Christian and will assuredly prevail against Satan. This is why he insinuates that we have no need of prayer. The name of Jesus, our Advocate, he detests; and when we earnestly come to Him for help, Satan's host is alarmed. It serves his purpose well if we neglect the exercise of prayer, for then his lying wonders are more readily received. That which he failed to accomplish in tempting Christ, he accomplishes by setting his deceitful temptations before man. He sometimes comes in the form of a lovely young person, or of a beautiful shadow. He works cures, and is worshiped by deceived mortals as a benefactor of our race. Phrenology and mesmerism are very much exalted. They are good in their place, but they are seized upon by Satan as his most powerful agents to deceive and destroy souls. His arts and devices are received as from heaven, and faith in the detector, the Bible, is destroyed in the minds of thousands. Satan here receives the w…
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
The EGW passage emphasizes the power of prayer against Satan and the importance of earnest prayer, which aligns with the principle in James 5:16 about the effectiveness of fervent prayer. The connection is strong and relevant.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
The EGW passage discusses Satan's efforts to deceive and destroy Christians, particularly by discouraging prayer and promoting false wonders. This aligns with 1 Peter 5:8, which warns believers to be vigilant against the devil, who seeks to devour them. The shared theme of Satan's deceptive and destructive nature justifies the connection.