God sent an evil spirit to torment Saul as a form of divine judgment after Saul had repeatedly disobeyed the Lord. This spirit did not originate in God’s holy nature but was permitted by God to trouble Saul because he had rejected God’s Word and lost the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
(1 Samuel 16:14)
Saul had refused to fully obey God’s commands, most notably when he spared King Agag and the best of the Amalekites’ possessions, even after being instructed to destroy everything (1 Samuel 15). As a result, Samuel told him:
“Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
(1 Samuel 15:23)
Following this rejection, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. God removed His presence and protection, allowing an evil spirit to oppress him. This spirit was likely a demon, permitted by God for the purpose of chastisement. Though it originated from the realm of darkness, its presence served God’s judicial purpose.
This type of language appears elsewhere in Scripture. In Judges, God used evil spirits to create division:
“God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem…”
(Judges 9:23)
And in 1 Kings, God allowed a lying spirit to deceive Ahab through false prophets:
“I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets…”
(1 Kings 22:22)
In each case, the spirits operated under divine sovereignty. They were not sent as God’s direct agents of evil, but as instruments of judgment upon those who had already chosen rebellion.
In Saul’s case, the torment affected his mood, clarity, and spiritual discernment. The only relief came when David played music before him:
“And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed… and the distressing spirit would depart from him.”
(1 Samuel 16:23)
Saul’s decline was not due to random affliction but to his own disobedience and hard heart. The evil spirit was both a consequence and a symbol of what happens when God’s presence is withdrawn and rebellion is given free rein.