Q&A Home > S > Holy Book of 1 Samuel It is stated that the Lord placed an evil spirit on Saul that tormented him. Where is this in the Bible and how can the Lord release an evil spirit that is NOT of Him? Evil comes from Satan. In 1 Samuel 16, we learn that because Saul repeatedly disappointed and disobeyed the Lord with no regrets that the Spirit of the Lord departed from him. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord would be with His people, especially the anointed ones, unlike in the New Testament where the Holy Spirit dwells in the anointed ones and never departs from them. The distress Saul experienced thereafter was not necessarily the release of an actual evil spirit, but the lack of God's presence and blessings in His life caused him to have a distressing spirit and a depressed countenance. Thus, his servants thought that perhaps the soft and beautiful music of a harp would be soothing to Saul's anxious and distraught heart. This was not intended to be a form of exorcism as if an evil spirit, neither from God nor from Satan, had possessed Saul. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that anyone who is not in the presence of God is subject to be prey to evil spirits.
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