"He who had conquered Satan in the wilderness of temptation was again brought face to face with His enemy. The demon exerted all his power to retain control of his victim. To lose ground here would be to give Jesus a victory. It seemed that the tortured man must lose his life in the struggle with the foe that had been the ruin of his manhood. But the Saviour spoke with authority, and set the captive free. The man who had been possessed stood before the wondering people happy in the freedom of self-possession. Even the demon had testified to the divine power of the Saviour. DA 256.1"
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"
Both passages describe Jesus' ministry of deliverance. The EGW passage describes Jesus freeing a demon-possessed man, while the verse from Luke describes Jesus' mission to preach deliverance to the captives. The connection is that both involve Jesus setting people free from bondage.
"And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."
Both passages refer to the conflict between Jesus and Satan. The EGW passage describes Jesus freeing a demon-possessed man, while the verse describes the devil departing from Jesus after the temptation in the wilderness. The connection is that both involve Jesus overcoming Satan's influence.
"The man praised God for his deliverance. The eye that had so lately glared with the fire of insanity, now beamed with intelligence, and overflowed with grateful tears. The people were dumb with amazement. As soon as they recovered speech they exclaimed, one to another, “What is this? a new teaching! with authority He commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” Mark 1:27 , R. V. DA 256.2"
"And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."
Ellen White directly references Mark 1:27 in this passage.
"The secret cause of the affliction that had made this man a fearful spectacle to his friends and a burden to himself was in his own life. He had been fascinated by the pleasures of sin, and had thought to make life a grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming a terror to the world and the reproach of his family. He thought his time could be spent in innocent folly. But once in the downward path, his feet rapidly descended. Intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of his nature, and Satan took absolute control of him. DA 256.3"
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Both passages warn about the deceptive nature of sin and its destructive consequences. The EGW passage describes how the man's pursuit of pleasure led to his downfall, while the verse from Proverbs warns that a path that seems right can lead to death. The EGW passage illustrates the principle stated in Proverbs.
"Remorse came too late. When he would have sacrificed wealth and pleasure to regain his lost manhood, he had become helpless in the grasp of the evil one. He had placed himself on the enemy's ground, and Satan had taken possession of all his faculties. The tempter had allured him with many charming presentations; but when once the wretched man was in his power, the fiend became relentless in his cruelty, and terrible in his angry visitations. So it will be with all who yield to evil; the fascinating pleasure of their early career ends in the darkness of despair or the madness of a ruined soul. DA 256.4"
"His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins."
Both passages describe how sin/evil can ensnare a person, leading to negative consequences. The EGW passage elaborates on the process and the ultimate despair, while Proverbs 5:22 provides a concise statement of the principle. The connection is strong and meaningful.
"The same evil spirit that tempted Christ in the wilderness, and that possessed the maniac of Capernaum, controlled the unbelieving Jews. But with them he assumed an air of piety, seeking to deceive them as to their motives in rejecting the Saviour. Their condition was more hopeless than that of the demoniac, for they felt no need of Christ and were therefore held fast under the power of Satan. DA 256.5"
"And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs."
The EGW passage explicitly mentions the 'maniac of Capernaum,' which is a clear reference to the demon-possessed man described in Luke 8:27. The connection is direct and relevant to the theme of demonic influence.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
The EGW passage speaks of the evil spirit assuming 'an air of piety' to deceive, which aligns with the concept of Satan transforming into an angel of light in 2 Corinthians 11:14. The connection highlights the deceptive nature of evil.