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Judges 3:1-4 says...

1 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan

2 (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 a Hamath.

4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.  NIV

Is it possible that you have a thorn in your side that the LORD has allowed to teach you something about obedience and warfare?  In retrospect, some of the hardest lessons my life taught me these very things.  There are some battles that will never be won until you yourself engage in the battle.  For a time others can battle for you with some success, but if it's a battle your called to engage they could end up spiritually exhausting themselves on your behalf.  Is this right? 

Imagine yourself as a warrior fully armed for battle standing in the middle of a field where a battle is raging on.  Now imagine that your are completely clueless to the battle, yet the battle is real and other soldiers around you are trying to open your eyes so that you will fight.  Others around you are literally fighting on your behalf and taking severe hits, because you are just standing there totally disengaged. 

Listen, it's time to engage the battle.  The fact is the battle is real!

-Pastor John