In a recent podcast with Jon Harris, Pastor Michael Clary discussed his new book, Loser Theology. The idea behind the title of his work is simple: Loser Theology teaches that Christians are supposed to lose in the world, and we should actually feel good about perpetually losing. Clary is not advocating for this line of thinking in the book. Rather, he defines the phrase and unpacks why Loser Theology is so harmful.
A more specific component Clary touched on is the idea of laying down power. In other words, Loser Theology frames the surrender of power–which ends up in the hands of secularists–as a good thing.
At first glance, this may seem virtuous. After all, didn’t Christ lay down His life (John 10:18)? But a deeper look into Loser Theology reveals its error. The Lord who laid down His life is the same One who declared after His resurrection that He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Loser theology misses this altogether. As Clary states in the book: “That’s Loser Theology in a nutshell: a half-Christ who always bears the cross, never wears the crown, and calls us to follow his example of losing. Some Christians have a cultural apologetic that only see believers as a marginalized minority, never as a powerful majority. Loser Theology has no vision for victory. In fact, victory feels almost unholy.”
This Loser Theology mindset leads to laziness, apathy, and pacifism–which certainly does not glorify Christ.
And nowhere is this mindset more prevalent than in politics.
It certainly does not bring honor to God to have political leaders who advocate for murdering children in the womb and mutilating them out of the womb. It does not glorify our Creator when our nation desecrates His design for marriage. And yet the Loser Theology frame of mind that continuously concedes power to godless leaders (all while thinking that this is something pleasing to God) has created the sin-cursed landscape of America today.
We do not need more Christians who celebrate losing, and we do not need more believers who want to give away power to people who hate the Lord. We need faithful, humble, courageous men in public office who will fear God more than man and use their power to uphold righteousness and honor Christ.
This is certainly the harder path, but our God is faithful to help us. May the Lord be pleased to raise up God-fearing Christians who will run for office and bring justice and peace to our land.
