Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle’, then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 7:8-13
There are two points in particular that should be noted at the outset of our study of the details of the conflict between Moses and Pharaoh. The first is that we see immediately that Pharaoh also possesses 'godlike' powers. What we need to realise is that characters like Pharaoh represent the epitome of evil in history, heading up the essence of evil in themselves, as it were, and showing up its ultimate origin and pretensions, as being demonic and devilish. This is why modern totalitarian figures are so frighteningly and terrifyingly powerful; they embody the personality of evil itself. The second thing is this: miraculous power as such is not necessarily of God or from God. Both the Old Testament and the New recognise the reality of evil, as well as good, supernatural power. This, however, does not mean that the two powers are equal, or even of the same sort. Satan's wonders are lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9), that is, wonders intended to deceive, and having their origin in the father of lies. It is certainly no evidence, therefore, of the divine origin of the movement that it should be accompanied by signs and wonders, as some heretical and manifestly devilish movements apparently are. What John says (1 John 4:1) about trying the spirits is equally applicable to miracles. We should note very carefully here that evil powers aped and imitated the power of God in the court of Pharaoh. It was a blasphemous parody, it is true, but to the undiscerning it may well have been so impressive as to convince and win them to its allegiance.