Galadriel's power

[Gorthaur the Cruel]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I think you may have something there. According to The Tale of Years the Downfall of Númenor, apparently the first example of Sauron's loss of body, occurred in S.A 3319. By 3429 Sauron was already launching attacks against Gondor, indicating to me a return to full strength.
As a contrast, after his defeat by the Last Alliance and loss of the Ring, it took over a thousand years for him to begin to grow to even a minor threat to the West again, with his occupation of Dol Guldur as the Necromancer, and over 1900 years before he declared himself in Mordor.
It appears from at least circumstantial evidence that the Ring may indeed have been a factor in his rebodiment.

And in the Third Age, Gandalf said that Sauron has recovered much of his former might (perhaps his might comparable before he forged the One [it took 2 1/2 thousand years before he declared himself after all]) and may not need the Ring to conquer all of ME. He says something about Sauron becoming too strong even without the Ring. So his Ring, as along as it exist (while not in his posession), allows him to anchor on Arda as well as recharge to his former level of might. So then if he did retrieve his Ring with much of his native strength returned, then with the ring... he is twice as powerful (personally) compared to how he had been before its making (not to mention having control over other rings of power)! So hypothetically, if Morgoth had a One Ring, he'd be unconquerable. He'd not deplete himself no matter how severe he spends his spirit on his servants. He'd still be around, undefeated by the Valar. In this way, he was outsmarted by Sauron.

[ElanorFB]

There are cases of elves taking on Balrogs in the Silmarillion. Galadriel is certainly one of the top 3 most powerful elves in Middle Earth. I think against Sauron without his ring she could hold her own for a very long time. Perhaps Sauron with the 9 and the dwarven rings and legions upon legions could wear down Lorien, but he would lose a great part of his armies.