In some cases, they tolerated a compromise: instead of driving out the Canaanites or the Amorites, they allowed them to remain in the land and they turned them into their slaves, probably rationalising that this was an okay thing to do. We can do the same thing nowadays, coming up with "good reasons" for not getting rid of the things in our lives that are stumbling blocks for us and that prevent us from having complete victory.
We live as if life is a game of chance and that conquering is like winning that game: it may or may not happen, and we behave as if that's out of our control. When we don't have victory over something - like worry, anger, criticism or unbelief - we excuse it by saying, "That's just the way I am" - as if our disobedience somehow "couldn't be helped." That's what the tribes of Israel did and the whole book of Judges tells us of the consequences of that defeatist attitude.
Our modern society tries to brainwash us into thinking that tolerance is a virtue; if we don't champion a whole range of "alternative" lifestyles, we risk being accused of a hate crime. (But the Bible calls us to love people, not to tolerate them or their destructive lifestyles.)
And yet, at the same time, our society knows that tolerance can be a dangerous quality. When it comes to eradicating knife crime or violence against women, many police departments adopt a slogan of zero tolerance. They know that putting up with wrong behaviours is a recipe for disaster.
The same is true in our own lives. God hasn't called us to tolerance. When it comes to our bad habits, addictions and negative behaviour patterns, He is calling us, in contrast to the tribes of Israel, to be more than conquerors. (Romans 8: 37)
It's our choice.
