Would a holy God send an evil spirit to torment someone? This theological puzzle confronts us in the biblical account of King Saul, where we read the startling words: “an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him” (1 Samuel 16:14).

It seems like a contradiction to us at first read—a righteous God dispatching an evil spirit to torment someone. It even challenges our understanding of God’s goodness. Yet within the Reformed theological tradition, this episode reveals profound truths about God’s sovereignty and purposes, even in spiritual darkness.

 

THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

The story unfolds after Saul’s repeated disobedience. Having rejected God’s commands, Saul faces the prophet Samuel’s sobering pronouncement: “The LORD has rejected you as king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:26). Shortly thereafter, “the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him” (1 Samuel 16:14).

This torment manifested in episodes of extreme psychological distress, with Saul experiencing what appears to be violent mood swings, paranoia, and murderous rage. Only David’s harp-playing brought temporary relief, until eventually, even music couldn’t calm the troubled king.

 

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL SPIRITUAL FORCES

Scripture emphasises God’s absolute sovereignty over all creation—including evil spirits. Nothing exists or operates outside divine control. As John Calvin noted, even Satan is “the minister of God’s wrath.” This doesn’t mean God authors evil. Rather He exercises ultimate authority over it.

The phrase “from the LORD” doesn’t indicate God created this evil spirit, but that He permitted and directed its activity toward His sovereign purposes. In theological terms, God relates to evil not by direct causation but by ordained permission—allowing and directing what He does not directly produce.

 

DIVINE PURPOSES IN SAUL’S TORMENT

Why would God permit such spiritual affliction? Several purposes emerge:

• Divine Discipline: Saul’s affliction served as discipline for his disobedience. God’s withdrawal of His Spirit and the subsequent torment revealed the natural consequences of rejecting divine authority. When we choose to walk away from God, we move toward spiritual darkness.
• Revelation of Character: The evil spirit exposed what already lurked within Saul’s heart. Under spiritual oppression, his jealousy, paranoia, and murderous intentions toward David emerged. The affliction didn’t create these tendencies but unveiled them.
• Preparation for David’s Kingship: God used Saul’s torment to advance His redemptive plan. David’s role in temporarily relieving Saul’s suffering brought him into the royal court, while Saul’s increasingly erratic behaviour demonstrated why a leadership transition was necessary.
• Demonstration of Divine Sovereignty: Through this episode, God showed His complete authority over the spiritual realm. Even malevolent forces ultimately serve His purposes, operating only within divinely established boundaries.

 

THE MYSTERY OF PROVIDENCE

This account illuminates the mysterious conjunction of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Saul’s free choices led to his rejection, yet God worked through these choices to accomplish His larger purposes.

The paradox mirrors the broader Reformed understanding that God remains in perfect control while humans make genuine, responsible choices. As Augustine wrote, “In a strange and ineffable manner, even that which is done against His will is not done without His will.”

 

FINDING COMFORT IN GOD’S CONTROL

What comfort can believers draw from this difficult story?

• First, we can rest assured no spiritual force—whether temptation, affliction, or oppression—operates outside God’s sovereign control. Even in our darkest moments, God remains on the throne.
• Second, we remember that God works all things—even suffering—toward His good purposes (Romans 8:28). What appears as meaningless torment may serve as discipline, refinement, or preparation for future ministry.
• Finally, we look to Christ, who faced the ultimate spiritual darkness at the cross yet triumphed over every evil power. Through Him, we find deliverance from spiritual oppression and the promise that God’s sovereign purposes will ultimately bring blessing, not harm.CONCLUSION: WHY DOES GOD TORMENT SAUL?

 

CONCLUSION: WHY DOES GOD TORMENT SAUL?

The story of Saul’s torment reminds us God’s ways often transcend our understanding. His sovereignty extends even to the darkest spiritual realms, and He works through circumstances we might consider contradictory to His nature.

Rather than diminishing God’s holiness, this account magnifies His infinite wisdom and power. The God who could use an evil spirit to discipline Saul is the same God who used the greatest evil—the cross—to accomplish the greatest good—our salvation.

When facing our own spiritual battles, we can trust God remains sovereignly in control, working all things—even suffering—toward His perfect ends.

 

WHY DOES GOD TORMENT SAUL? RELATED FAQs

Was the “evil spirit” a demon or simply a bad mood? Reformed scholars such as Michael Heiser and John Walton suggest this was an actual spiritual entity, not merely a psychological state. The Hebrew term consistently refers to supernatural beings elsewhere in Scripture, and the text presents this spirit as an agent that could come and go, not merely an emotional condition.

• How do modern Reformed theologians reconcile God’s goodness with sending an evil spirit? Scholars like DA Carson and Timothy Keller emphasise God’s governance over evil without being its author. They distinguish between God’s active will (what He directly causes) and His permissive will (what He allows and directs for greater purposes). As RC Sproul taught, God can use evil agents for good purposes without approving of or participating in their evil.
• Could Saul’s condition be understood as mental illness in modern terms? While the symptoms described does resemble conditions suvh as bipolar disorder or paranoid schizophrenia, Reformed thinkers like David Powlison and Heath Lambert caution against reducing spiritual realities to purely physical or psychological explanations. They suggest a “both-and” approach that recognises potential psychological components while not dismissing the spiritual dimension the text clearly presents.

Did Saul have any responsibility in his torment, or was he merely a victim? Sinclair Ferguson and Iain Duguid emphasise Saul’s affliction came as a consequence of his own choices and rebellion. Though God sovereignly permitted the spirit’s activity, Saul bears responsibility for the patterns of disobedience and self-exaltation that led to his spiritual vulnerability and ultimately his downfall.

• Why did music temporarily relieve Saul’s torment? John Piper and Bob Kauflin suggest music’s power illustrates common grace—God’s goodness extended even to those under judgement. The temporary nature of this relief demonstrates cultural remedies, while beneficial, cannot substitute for true spiritual restoration through repentance. This Saul never sought to do.
• How does this passage inform our understanding of spiritual warfare? Reformed thinkers like Thomas Schreiner and Clinton Arnold teach this passage reveals both the reality of spiritual opposition and God’s absolute authority over it. Unlike prosperity gospel teachings, the Reformed view doesn’t attribute all suffering to demonic activity, but it also avoids the modern tendency to discount spiritual forces entirely.

Does this passage imply God might send evil spirits to believers today? Reformed covenant theology, articulated by scholars like Michael Horton and Kevin DeYoung, emphasises believers in Christ exist under a different covenant relationship than Old Testament figures like Saul. Because of Christ’s finished work and the indwelling Holy Spirit, believers face spiritual attack but are promised God will never leave or forsake them as He did Saul.

 

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