The woman of En-dor was possessed of a familiar spirit-a demon. This spirit evidently personated any departed person with whom those who resorted to her desired to converse. Her exact counterpart is found in the modern spiritualistic mediums, who, poor deceived souls, are not the mouthpiece of departed human beings, but of the demons that possess them.
Saul was abandoned by God for his disobedience, and there was no true repentance in him, for instead of humbling himself before the God whose word he had disregarded he had recourse to this woman. At his word the séance commenced, but to her astonishment and horror the familiar spirit did not respond as usual: instead there was an intervention of God, and Samuel himself appeared to pronounce God’s judgment upon rebellious Saul.
As in those days, so in these, the turning to familiar spirits instead of to God is a terrible snare of Satan, and should not be touched by any who are the Lord’s.