The Pharaoh spirit is a demonic principality that seeks to control, manipulate, and dominate people and situations. This oppressive spirit operates through pride, stubbornness, disobedience, and rebellion against God’s authority. The Pharaoh spirit resists deliverance and restoration, preferring instead to keep people in bondage and captivity.
In the Bible, Pharaoh opposed Moses and Aaron when God sent them to deliver the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Despite witnessing God’s miracles and plagues, Pharaoh repeatedly hardened his heart and refused to let God’s people go. This provides a powerful example of how the Pharaoh spirit operates – by resisting freedom and deliverance even in the face of God’s clear direction and intervention.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we must be alert to symptoms of the Pharaoh spirit in our own lives or in our churches, ministries, cities, and nations. By recognizing these symptoms, we can take spiritual authority over this oppressive principality and receive breakthrough.
Key Takeaways:
- The Pharaoh spirit seeks control, manipulation, and dominance over people and situations.
- It operates through pride, stubbornness, disobedience, and rebellion against God’s authority.
- The Pharaoh spirit resists deliverance and restoration, preferring to keep people in bondage.
- We must be alert to symptoms of the Pharaoh spirit in order to take spiritual authority over it.
Common Symptoms
Here are some common symptoms that may indicate the presence and operation of a Pharaoh spirit:
1. Pride and arrogance
Pride was at the root of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. He exalted himself as a god and refused to submit to the Lord (Exodus 5:2). Pride causes us to rely on our own wisdom and strength rather than trusting in God. A Pharaoh spirit is marked by an inflated ego, arrogance, and haughtiness.
Related Scripture – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
2. Need for control
The Pharaoh spirit seeks to control people, situations, and outcomes. Pharaoh tried to exert control over the Israelites by increasing their workload and oppression. The need to micro-manage and domineer over others can indicate a Pharaohic control spirit. This spirit hates accountability and perceives it as undermining its authority.
Related Scripture – “It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.” (Proverbs 25:2)
3. Refusal to listen to God or godly counsel
Pharaoh repeatedly ignored God’s word through Moses and Aaron, hardening his heart each time. The Pharaoh spirit disregards prophetic words and instructions from Godly authority. It closes its ears to counsel, wisdom, and rebuke. This spirit says “I know better” and refuses to humble itself and listen.
Related Scripture – “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” (Proverbs 13:18)
4. Disobedience to God’s commands
Though Pharaoh knew God’s will, he defiantly disobeyed and resisted. The Pharaoh spirit flagrantly rebels against God’s laws and instructions. Even when confronted with the truth, this spirit rationalizes and justifies its rebellion. Disobedience exposes the operation of this demonic stronghold.
Related Scripture – “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.” (1 Samuel 15:23)
5. Resistance against deliverance
Pharaoh resisted Moses’ call to “let my people go!” He stubbornly refused freedom for the Israelites, preferring to keep them enslaved. The Pharaoh spirit likewise resists deliverance from bondage. It wants to keep people trapped and oppressed, for its power thrives on captivity. This spirit will undermine and oppose ministries of deliverance, freedom, and restoration.
Related Scripture – “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
6. Hardness of heart
Despite witnessing God’s miracles and plagues, Pharaoh continually hardened his heart and refused to repent. Similarly, the Pharaoh spirit promotes hardness of heart – emotional callousness, numbness, and refusal to feel compassion. This hardness resists the conviction and softening of the Holy Spirit.
Related Scripture – “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.” (Exodus 8:15)
7. Twisting truth and deception
Pharaoh cunningly negotiated with Moses to allow the Israelites to offer sacrifices without actually letting them leave Egypt. The Pharaoh spirit manipulates truth and uses deception to maintain control. It spins lies to reinforce its narrative. Discern this crafty twisting of truth.
Related Scripture – “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)
8. Occult involvement
Pharaoh’s magicians counterfeited Moses’ miracles with sorcery. The Pharaoh spirit closely aligns with the occult – witchcraft, divination, necromancy, idol worship. Lies, magic, and darkness fuel its power. Guard against any occult footholds.
Related Scripture – “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
9. Generational bondage
The Israelites had been in bondage in Egypt for over 400 years by the time Moses confronted Pharaoh (Genesis 15:13). Likewise, the Pharaoh spirit often operates through generational bondage and ancestral strongholds. It runs in bloodlines, gripping generations with control and capitivity. Break this off your family line!
Related Scripture – “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Exodus 20:5)
10. Plundering others
Pharaoh greedy exploited the Israelites as slave labor to build his empire. The Pharaoh spirit plunders people – draining their finances, energy, and resources to empower itself. It views people as commodities to prop up its reign. This spirit especially targets the vulnerable.
Related Scripture – “He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.” (Proverbs 22:16)
As we can see, the Pharaoh spirit exhibits some clear symptoms and characteristics. If you discern these signs of control, rebellion, and resistance operating in your life, church, city, or nation, begin to address their root causes. The remainder of this article explains how to break free from this oppressive principality and walk in greater freedom and deliverance.
4 Ways to Overcome the Pharaoh Spirit
If you recognize symptoms of the Pharaoh spirit, here are some practical steps you can take to break its influence and power:
1. Repent of pride and control
Renounce any pride or arrogance in your heart. Ask God to reveal any need for unhealthy control or religious manipulation. Confess these as sins and turn away from them in repentance. Humble yourself before the Lord.
Related Scripture – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)
2. Submit to God’s authority
Surrender afresh to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Commit to obey His Word and promptings of the Holy Spirit. Yield to godly counsel and accountability. Let go of trying to control outcomes, and trust the sovereignty of God.
Related Scripture – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
3. Renounce generational bondage
Break any ancestral ties to Egypt and pharaoh worship. Ask God to reveal and remove generational strongholds of control and rebellion passed down through your bloodline. Break old family cycles of manipulation.
Related Scripture – “…In order to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)
4. Establish a culture of honor
Cultivate an atmosphere of mutual love, honor, and respect in your relationships and spheres of influence. Assign value to others. Hear people’s hearts. Encourage freedom, not control.
Related Scripture – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10)
Walking in humility, obedience, and honor weakens the Pharaoh spirit’s grip. Your freedom helps release others into greater liberty. Break the stranglehold of this oppressive principality in the mighty name of Jesus!
Keys to Maintaining Freedom from the Pharaoh Spirit
Once you gain freedom from the influence of the Pharaoh spirit, it is important to maintain that freedom. Here are some key ways to do this:
- Continue in a lifestyle of humility, prayer, worship, and obedience to God. Don’t slide back into pride and control.
- Hold fast to your identity and authority in Christ. Resist condemnation or accusation from the enemy.
- Stay plugged into community and accountability. Isolation enables this spirit to regain influence.
- Guard against bitterness and offense toward those who have controlled you. Forgive them.
- Remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Welcome His correction when needed.
- Study God’s Word. Biblical truth demolishes spiritual strongholds.
- Persevere in doing good and fighting injustice. ThisPrincipal spirit hates when its captives are liberated.
- Pray prayers of protection and deliverance over yourself, loved ones, and territories.
As you walk in alignment with Christ, you will stay free and even help set others free from this wiley spirit of Pharaoh. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). You are empowered to live in the full freedom of God as His beloved child!
In Conclusion
The Pharaoh spirit is a deceptive and oppressive principality that the enemy uses to enslave people in spiritual captivity. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we have authority to demolish its strongholds by the power of the Holy Spirit! We must be alert to symptoms of pride, control, and rebellion that expose its operations. When we take a stand against this spirit and submit fully to God’s authority, we will walk in greater freedom and help release others into their full identity as God’s dearly loved children. The Pharaoh spirit bows the knee to the name of Jesus!
