Breaking Free from the Grip of Oppression

Welcome back to Listen Up! God Speaks—a podcast to help you live life victoriously. I’m your host, Charlotte, and we are now in Episode 6 of our powerful series Victory Through the Battle: Spiritual Warfare Lessons from the Bible.

We’ve looked at personal battles, identity struggles, and rescue missions. But today, we’re turning our eyes to one of the most dramatic showdowns in the Bible—the deliverance of God’s people from Pharaoh’s grip and confronting Pharaoh.

Let’s talk about what it means to confront Pharaoh—and how deliverance always involves spiritual warfare.

Breaking Free from the Grip of Oppression

Exodus 1–14

Let me ask you:

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a place you didn’t belong—bound by fear, addiction, shame, or even spiritual oppression?

If so, this story is for you.

The Israelites had been in Egypt for over 400 years. What started as a refuge in Joseph’s day became a place of slavery.

By the time we reach Exodus 1, we find God’s people in bondage—mistreated, oppressed, and crying out for deliverance.

But here's what we must see:

Their deliverance wasn’t just political or physical—it was deeply spiritual.

Pharaoh wasn’t just a man.
He represented a system of control, pride, and resistance against God.

And breaking free from that required a confrontation.

Let’s look at a turning point moment in Exodus 7:16…

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may serve Me.’”

This was a spiritual declaration. It wasn’t just a request—it was a command from heaven.

And Pharaoh responded the way the enemy often does when we try to break free:
He resisted.

“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice…?” —Exodus 5:2

That’s the voice of every demonic stronghold: “Who is your God that I should let go of this area of your life?”

Let’s pause here...

Spiritual warfare is often about who gets to have authority—God or the enemy.

And just like Pharaoh hardened his heart, the enemy will resist your freedom.
But here’s the good news: God doesn’t back down.

The battle for Israel’s deliverance escalated—plague after plague, miracle after miracle—until Pharaoh could no longer hold on.

Here’s the key takeaway:

Deliverance is a confrontation between God’s covenant and the enemy’s counterfeit.

Pharaoh had magicians who mimicked the miracles. He had power. But he didn’t have authority from heaven.

When God said “Let My people go,” that word carried more weight than any resistance Pharaoh could muster.

Let’s go deeper with a Hebrew insight…

In Exodus 9:1, God says again:

“Let My people go, that they may serve Me.”

The Hebrew word for “serve” is avad (עָבַ) [ah-VAHD], which also means to worship, to work, or to fulfill purpose.

God wasn’t just freeing them from something—He was freeing them for something.

Deliverance isn’t just about escape.
It’s about alignment—being released into your divine assignment.

So here’s a question for you:

Where has the enemy tried to keep you enslaved—so that you wouldn’t serve the Lord fully?

That’s where the battle is.

Let me give you a modern-day example...

A woman struggles with chronic fear. It keeps her from stepping into ministry, from speaking out, from starting that thing God called her to build.

But one day, she senses the Holy Spirit saying, “Enough.”

She begins declaring the Word of God, fasting, praying, renouncing fear.

And little by little, the chains begin to fall.

That’s what spiritual warfare looks like:
You confront the Pharaoh in your life—and you don’t stop until freedom comes.

Here are three key strategies from this deliverance battle:

1. Use God’s Word as Your Declaration of Authority

Moses didn’t go in his own name. He spoke for the Lord.

“Thus says the Lord…”

When confronting a stronghold in your life or someone else’s, you must speak what God says, not what you feel.

Declare:

2. Expect Resistance, but Don’t Retreat

Pharaoh didn’t let go easily—and neither will the enemy.

Sometimes your freedom requires pressing in over time.

That might mean: