One of the key paragraphs of Judges is interesting:
These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey theLord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses. (Judges 3:1-4, NIV)
The nations were left to test the Israelites. They needed to learn war.
We can talk about “motif” and “preference” all we want, there is still a spiritual lesson here. We must still learn war.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:10-12, NIV)
One of my favorite church history professors started a lecture on the devil by saying something really interesting. In a day when we don’t want to acknowledge an enemy, and we think “evil is just the absence of good,” he began his lecture this way:
“Some say there is a devil. Some say there isn’t a devil. Either way, he doesn’t care.”
We still need to be trained in war. We need to realize spiritual struggle is part of the process. We need to stay aware.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 
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