Judges 1:19, 21, 27-33 Judah could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley…Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites…Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants…Israel put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out…Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites…Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants, but the Canaanites dwelt among them…Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants…they did not drive them out…Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants. And etc.
The book of Joshua tells of a swift and thorough conquest of enemy armies and cities, while the book of Judges portrays a more lengthy and gradual conquest. Some tribes were more successful than others, but soon most were sidetracked by fear, weariness, lack of discipline, or the pursuit of their own interests. And they began to worship the pagan gods of the Canaanites.
Judges chapter 1 lays out the cause for the cyclical problems Israel experienced: they did not drive out the demon-worshipping inhabitants of the Land. So they remained as “thorns in the side” of Israel, tempting their faith and devotion to fade away. Israel conquered the Land enough to dwell in it, but the completion of the job of driving out the enemy was not accomplished.
The learning for us NT believers is obvious: God gave us the kingdom and we dwell in it, but Sin, Death, and the Devil still remain alongside the kingdom within. Their temptations and destructions are relentless. Within the believer’s heart there remain places of sin and pockets of resistance to God’s rule. Since these enemies are ever present in the soul, we need be sober and vigilant, penitent, prayerful and believing the Gospel day by day. We respond by using the authority given to Jesus to drive out the remaining inhabitants of the soul. The battle is ongoing, but victory is ours.