My opinion on the role of the Istari is thus: If they were given the power to simply blow Sauron to kingdome come, they would have been no better than he was. They would have in fact become a different version of Sauron. Evil cannot be bulldozed over by sheer power (the history of the human race being a prime example, and the actions of Saruman a relevant one), one needs to have faith, knowledge, and humility. The Istari, to some degree I believe, were sent to enlighten and to inspire.
(I am thoroughly uneducated in Tolkien lore as of yet, but this is what my instincts told me. Did I completely drop the ball on this one?)
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~The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories. This is one of mine~
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