“An Evil Spirit from the LORD”? — Sovereignty, Suffering, and Semitic Idiom. Few phrases in the Old Testament unsettle modern readers like this one: “an evil spirit from the LORD.” Some take it as proof that God directly produces moral evil. Others attempt to soften it until it says almost nothing. Neither approach honors Scripture. The text is meant to sober us, not confuse us, and it is meant to deepen our view of God’s holiness, not diminish it.

Demons are not the invention of horror movies, pagan folklore, or religious superstition. They are presented throughout Scripture as real, conscious, malevolent spiritual beings opposed to God, His people, and the truth. Understanding what the Bible teaches about demons is not a peripheral concern.