The words which open our parsha, parshat Ki Teitze: "When you will go out to war against your enemies" also appear in the previous parsha, parshat Shofetim:
 

"When you will go out to war against your enemies and will see horses and chariots, a nation more numerous than you, do not fear them because HaShem your Lord is with you, who raised you out from the land of Egypt. And it will be, when you approach the battle, the Cohen will come and speak with the nation. And he will say to them: Hear O Israel! Today you are approaching battle with your enemies. Your hearts will not be faint, you will not fear, you will not panic and you will not be terrified because of them. For it is HaShem your Lord who goes with you to fight for you against you enemies to save you. …And when the officers finish speaking with the nation, commanders of the armies will be appointed at the head of the nation."

We can identify several stages which are described regarding the preparations for war.
First of all the fortification of faith: Do not fear them. Even before the technical preparations, the training and the equipping, the Torah directs the Jewish soldier to impress into his heart that there is no reason to fear the enemy. Why? Because "HaShem your Lord is with you, who raised you out from the land of Egypt" – you are on the right side, and you have the strongest forces on the battlefield. 

The purpose of the addition of the words "who raised you out from the land of Egypt" may also be to remind us what happened there. Pharaoh and his nation exercised absolute rule over us, and there was no chance in sight that Am Israel could overcome them.  Nevertheless, HaShem took us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and drowned Pharaoh's chariots, solders and the elite of his commanders in the Red Sea. Thus it will be in the war you are about to go out to - "For it is HaShem your Lord who goes with you to fight for you against you enemies to save you." 

After the first words of strengthening comes the next stage: And it will be, when you approach the battle, the Cohen will come and speak with the nation. Rashi write that this was "immediately before their going out from the frontier, from the border of their land." That is, notwithstanding the first strengthening of faith, still, when actually going out to the battlefield, the fear intensifies and therefore a unique figure is needed: the Cohen anointed for war, who will come and strengthen them in the face of what is coming.
 

Finally come the physical preparations: "And when the officers finish speaking with the nation, commanders of the armies will be appointed at the head of the nation." Even though it is logical that chronologically the military preparations began much earlier, here the Torah ordered them according to their level of importance, and therefore they appear last.

In our parsha, the Torah describes the stage after the war, the stage of victory. "When you will go out to war against your enemies and HaShem will deliver them into your hand, etc." Baruch Hashem, you succeeded in the battle and prevailed, with G-d's help, over your enemy.

And what now? Throughout history, the practice of the nations of the world has been to celebrate with victory parades and boast of their great power and the quantity of booty they plundered. However, this is not the way of the Torah.

Exactly at times when one is most successful, and he is full of himself – "I succeeded, I did, I..I.." – precisely then one is required to be modest and humble. By means of the chapter on aishet yifat to'ar (a beautiful woman who was taken captive in battle) the Torah teaches us that even when you are the strong and the dominant one, and you think you can do whatever you want, you are not permitted to act that way.
 

"And it will be, if you will not desire her, you will send her out wherever she wishes, but you may not sell her for money. You may not treat her as a slave, since you have humbled her."
 

Do not forget the moments when you were gripped by fear and faintness before the battle. Remember that it is HaShem who gives you the strength to act courageously, and He expects you to act morally, with decency and humility toward every human being.

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