What is one thing that all oppressors have in common? The oppressor could be a person, a family member, a church member, a system, an institution, a group of people, satan himself, or satan's demons who work for him. All oppressors want to keep those they oppress uninformed, uneducated and ignorant. Why? Because you, the person being oppressed, will continue to not know what is rightfully yours.

Let's take a look at Exodus 2:23 where the children of Israel were being held in bondage [keep reading through Exodus 3 please]. Please know, Beloved reader, that any type of bondage is illegitimate. Let's take a look at some of the words used in these two chapters of Exodus that denote oppression: imposed, compelled, bitter, task master, bondage, sighed, groaning, affliction, smiting, burdens, wrong, killed, feared, sorrows, cry.

The Israelites were being bound, they were being forced, they were being driven. Why was there oppression? Because the oppressor, the king, did not want them [the Israelites] to be free [even after 430 years bondage]. The oppressor says if I allow the person, you Beloved, to become free, you'll become to strong [in the Lord and in your life]. The king of Israel as discussed here in the beginning of Exodus illegitimately used the children of Israel to further his agenda. Now, let's draw a parallel. What does satan and his demons do? They use you, yes you reading this article, to further his [satan and his demons] agenda.

Did you know that many God-fearing Christians aren't aware that they cooperate with the enemy daily in two ways. The first way is because we as Christians are often spiritually blind in certain areas of our life -- this is an open door for you to continue to be used to further the cause of satan without even realizing it and even while you serve weekly in your local church. The second way is you don't use your authority and spiritual gifts daily and weekly against the enemy in your life. In other words, you're a passive Christian when it comes to spiritual warfare in your own life.

Did you know that God has destined you, yes you reading this article, for freedom. God's gift to you is freedom.

Notice that the children of Israel had been under the oppressor, the king of Egypt, for an extended period of time. It is very important to note in this scripture that it took a few days for the Israelites to cry out to God. Why? They got used to being oppressed while the king was alive. They didn't like it, but they accepted it. While the king was alive, the Israelites forgot about God, they forgot about they were part of the covenant. Hum, does this sound like you or someone you know. That is, that you've become so accustomed to your oppression, you do not exercise what is promised to you, what is available to you every day.

What is oppression? Oppression is imposed domination of another person or a group of people in order to control them mentally, physically, emotionally, and the worst of all, spiritually, in order to stifle their aspirations and limit their potential. To be oppressed is to be dominated or held down or suppressed in such a way as to cancel or to control or to limit your divinely ordained potential.

Oppression in any form is against the will of God, no matter how legitimate is has been made to sound or appear. It [oppression] involves restricting your God-given human potential to stop God's plan for your life. Oppression crushes a person's human spirit. Oppression can take place in many forms on many different levels -- all of it is wicked, evil, demonic.

Let's define a few of many types of demonic oppression.

Political Oppression - This is in dictatorships or military governance where a particular dictator limits the power of others in the name of political order. For example, Russian communism, the Marxist way of life where literal walls were built to hold people in to stop them from being able to move.

Economic Oppression - The rich hold the poor down and keep them in classes so that they are not able to express themselves. They can't get free to develop their own entrepreneurial spirit. They are limited and stuck in ghettos because this is where the system has forced them to stay.

Racial Oppression - Where people are held down because of the color of their skin. This form of demonic oppression has been and continues to have a dominant presence in the United States of America, as well as, in other countries. As racial oppession operates daily, the color of a person's skin prohibits them access to what the rest of society has free access to simply because of how they look.

Domestic Oppression - Typically a woman [but also this can be applicable to a man] is so controlled by a man through threats of violence. This woman lives in fear. The man is a dictator to oppress. Some husbands falsely use God's word of submission to physically oppress their wives. Equally as important, some men and husbands are domestically oppressed. This fact is not overlooked when a man comes for integrated healing and deliverance ministry.

Did you know, Beloved, that nobody is supposed to be able to control you, but God? That's why Paul said, I won't be controlled by any thing. You can be led by people or things, or even influenced by people or things, but nothing and no one should take over [control] your life [including your mind]. When this happens, the Bible calls this form of illegitimate control, idolatry. This means you've allowed someone or something to take God's place.

Another way of saying this is -- you have a part or parts of your life that are not sacred, they are kept from God. In our Christian walk and in the integrated approach to healing and deliverance, this is called an open door. And Beloved, it's an open door to the demonic operating in your life through demonic oppression [that can manifest in many forms]. This is only one reason so many believers all ill physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Parental Oppression - Brutality where children are terrified is parental oppression. This is where parents do not spank to correct, but they spank to hurt and to bring harm in a brutal way.

Self Oppression - Some people were raised in oppressive homes where they were/are told they will be nobody, that they are dumb and that they should not expect to become anything. This mental oppression sticks in the person's mind even if they weren't physically hit. A person knows they are operating in self-oppression when years later this is s-t-i-l-l the way they look at life and at themself. It's rather obvious to determine a person under this demonic influence because even though there's nobody around to suppress them, the person suppresses himself/herself and stifles their own God-given future.

Spiritual Oppression - Spiritual oppression is the worst kind of oppression of all. This is where the devil [appears to] have his way with your life. The devil lies by saying, "You can't break out." "This is your lot in life," is another lie the enemy whispers. Or, you continue to believe the satan's lie that "I have to stay on drugs, on alcohol." Many Christians even believe the demonic lie that "I have to stay in this relationship that's no good for me." What's sad is some Christians have been living with spiritual oppression so long, they believe satan's lies to the point they think satan's lies are true. [In the integrated approach to healing and deliverance this is called Ungodly Beliefs. Why? Because what you, the oppressed, believe does not align with the Word of God.]

The Bible says [Luke 4:18 - 19; Isaiah 61:1] that Jesus came to set the captives free, which means you do not have to stay in oppression -- not even one day longer, Beloved. Freedom is the release from illegitimate bondage.You cannot be free [in any capacity] if you are not willing to be responsible. If you demand freedom [even from satan and his demons in your life] you are at the very same time demanding responsibility. Freedom and responsibility are complimentary and work together. Freedom means you take ownership/stewardship [of your life] and exercise dominion as God designed in Genesis.

Thank you for taking your time to read this article on Healed People, Heal People. This article was written expressly for you, Beloved, from the audio teaching titled Freedom From Oppression by Dr. Tony Evans of The Urban Alternative. If you're not a member of this online community, we invite you to join for free here.  You'll regular updates of encouragement wrapped in biblical truths.