Why Is the Church Acting Like It Has Already Lost the Battle, and Why Are We Fighting In the First Place?

Monsignor Jefferson Wicks attacks his new priest, Father Jud Duplenticy, in Knives Out 3. (Photo pulled from Catholic Review)

The Church is at war.

Or at least it seems this way.

As political commentators, denominational leaders, church leaders, and even politicians pollute "news" networks, Christian reporting, and social media with their battering rams of fear and opinion, it can feel like Jesus followers are fighting everyone, everywhere, all the time.

In fact, some Sunday pulpits are beginning to sound more like political commentary than the radical, liberating, life-changing gospel Christians are tasked with carrying to a worn and weary world.

To the careful listener, it almost sounds as if the Church, Christianity, and perhaps the entirety of religion has already lost the battle.

Except, and let me be clear about this, the Church and Christianity will never lose the battle or the war, although it may feel like it at times. Christ has come in victory, will come again in victory, and assures us that we share in His victory.

So why does it feel as if the Church has already lost the battle, when we have not and we cannot?

Let me start at the beginning - at least the beginning of this past weekend.

I spent part of Saturday at a new book release with local author, fellow Baptist, and gifted church musician Amethyst Drake (her pen name, not her real name). I bought all three of her books from the Carson Crimes File, tried to entice her to lead worship for our church, and then spent the remainder of the afternoon diving into her world of mystery writing. The book I read is a well-developed and refreshingly uncomplicated read, and it reignited my love of mysteries. (Check out the author and her books at Online - Amethyst Drake Home)

I enjoyed the storytelling so much I turned to Netflix for a mystery movie and found the Knives Out series. I had already watched the first movie, so on Saturday evening I watched Knives Out 2 and on Sunday evening I watched Knives Out 3, which is by far my favorite.

The overt religious themes certainly caught my interest. Two of the main characters drive a narrative of how some in the Christian realm seem to care more about what they are against than who they are for.

The 2025 movie is entitled Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man. It tells the story of a young priest with a past that he is trying to make peace with and what happens when he meets the older Monsignor Jefferson Wicks.

I will provide a quick overview of the plot.

Father Jud Duplenticy was once a boxer who ended up killing a man in the ring. Now a young priest, Father Duplenticy struggles with guilt because he was angry with his opponent, who he knew was losing the match and in danger of losing his life, yet he kept throwing punches.

As the film opens, Father Duplenticy is arguing with a parish deacon. As the deacon keeps provoking him, the priest gives in to his anger and punches him. The priest is devastated because he wants to minister in the love of Christ, not give in to anger.

Father Duplenticy demonstrates this message powerfully and effectively with his outstretched arms illustrating the love that Christ shows through the cross and the boxing posture of fists ready to throw punches illustrating anger and defensiveness.

Father Duplenticy is moved to a parish in upstate New York, where he meets Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. Where Duplenticy prefers leading with love, Monsignor Wicks prefers the attack mode of preaching.

Father Jud sees this on full display during each Sunday's mass, as Wicks delivers one explicit homily after another against his sin (and sinner) of the week. Visitors leave, and existing parishioners are left starving for a shepherd's love and care.

In his short time in the parish, Father Jud has learned about the personal battles each parishioner is fighting. He sees their wounds, and he suggests to Monsignor Wick that they need the love of Christ; they need encouragement.

Monsignor responds by revealing his view that the Church is at war because the world wants to kill it.

In one scene, the Monsignor knocks the younger priest down and violently kicks him repeatedly. His physical attack is a metaphor for how he believes the world is attacking the church.

"I’m the world. You’re the church," Wicks says. "Anger lets us fight back, take back the ground we’ve lost. And we’ve lost so much ground. And now you’re afraid. Look at those bareknuckle instincts coming back. Good! You’re afraid I’m gonna come at you again. But you’re protecting yourself. Because the world wants to destroy us."

Then Wick tells Duplenticy, "Your version of love and forgiveness is a sop. It’s going along to get along with modernity, not wanting to offend this garbage world. Meanwhile, they destroy us. Feminist Marxist w****s. Bit by bit, they do. But I carry my burden. I hold the line. And you? You simpering child from Albany? Are you gonna get angry and fight?"

This is when I saw it.

I thought about the anger and fear that are present in too many sermons and denominational stances and used to deepen political divisiveness.

When we wage war against things like diversity, equality and inclusion, we use fear tactics. We fight because we have been groomed to believe that giving all people fair and equal opportunity will destroy ... what? Have you seen the movie Hidden Figures? Parents of daughters - have you watched Mad Men? These things happened and were considered the norm of the times. Do we in the church want a culture of more discrimination, harassment, and sexism for our children?

When we wage war against teaching the history of slavery, we use fear tactics. What is it we are really saying - that slavery didn't exist or it wasn't important enough to include in our nation's history? Have you seen the movie Amazing Grace? Do we in the church believe that some of us are more worthy than others?

There definitely are battles to be fought. And to be sure, some people will radicalize and weaponize DEI, slavery, and many other issues, and this may lead to legitimate concern about even more divisiveness. But I am concerned we are choosing the wrong hills to die on.

Moreover, I am concerned the church is too often behaving as though we have already lost the battle.

Yet, we have not.

To be sure, there is a battle. The world - which scripture tells us is ruled by Satan - will always try to extinguish the gospel. This is what the apostle Paul tells believers in Ephesus. By the way, those believers were surrounded by pagan worship, pagan temples, and pagan idols. They definitely were in the middle of a culture war.

Ephesians 6:12, NLT

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

There is a battle. There is an enemy. The enemy is powerful. The enemy is not flesh-and-blood.

Yet, Paul tells the believers they can stand against this attack, and Paul tells them how.

Ephesians 6:10,13-18, NLT

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power ... [13] Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [18] Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

We win spiritual battles, Paul says, not through anger, fear, or a constant defensive posture.

We win spiritual battles in God's strength, standing secure in God's truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the word, and persistent prayer for each other. Paul uses language of a people deflecting attacks, not on the attack. While it is true that a sword is mentioned, the weapon is a metaphor for the word of God. It is truth. And it demands that we study it carefully so that we have a right understanding of what it says - and what it does not say.

And consider the importance of prayer.

Praying for each other, out of necessity, means we are learning what burdens and struggles we carry so that we know how to pray for one another. As we get to know each other and pray for each other, a beautiful thing happens. We become authentically concerned. We seek to help. We seek to lift. And when the world sees us loving each other like this, it is a powerful force.

Jesus said the way we love each other will draw the attention of the world. Anger and fear only drive people away, like Monsignor Wick drives away parishioners.

Love lifts, anger and fear pushes down. Love nourishes, anger and fear starves. Love is like balm on a wound, anger and fear infects.

John 13:34-35, NLT

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. [35] Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

Love is a powerful motivator, and it draws people in. Anger and hate drives people away.

Jesus consistently tells His followers to love - love God, love our neighbors, love righteousness.

So why is so much of the Church spending so much time in war mode? Why do some churches speak more of fighting than of loving?

Fear, legalism, tradition, poor understanding and interpretation of scripture, and even a genuine desire to not "give the devil a foothold" are some of the reasons for a warring Church.

But listen to what Jesus says about the Church.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says He will build His church and "all the powers of hell will not conquer it."

We have not and we will not lose the battle.

Followers of Jesus - the people of His church - must guard doctrine, which means they must work to understand and rightly interpret scripture. We are called to tell the truth (in love and with love) about sin and the path to salvation.

Jesus says this about his followers in John 17:16, "They do not belong to this world any more than I do."

We must not begin to think like the world, act like the world, or worship the ideals of the world. Jesus lived in the world but not of the world, and that is how we are to live. We must not become polluted by the politics, systems, or ideas of the world. We are called to live like Jesus lived.

When we lash out against people and their ideas or their sin in anger or take unfair action against them, are we not acting like the world? Are we not using the world's tactics?

When we follow Jesus, like Jesus we will become rather counter-cultural.

Romans 12:2, NLT

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Alice Cooper (all-star shock-rocker and professing Christian) once called Jesus "the ultimate rebel."

But teaching and preaching a counter-cultural, rebel mindset has its dangers.

"A consequence of embracing this mindset, however, is that when fertile soil is watered by the ongoing “culture war,” it can grow a contrarian spirit and reactionary faith. Thus, the Christian identity is defined by being “anti-culture” rather than “pro-Gospel,” Christians known for what we are not rather than what we are." (Rethinking Counter-Cultural Christianity - The Collision)

Why does it seem that Jesus followers are fighting everything, everywhere, all the time?

Because too many of us have grown contrarian spirits and reactionary faith. We are not nearly as pro-gospel as we are anti-culture. I tune into to religious networks most evenings and am bombarded with more messages that are anti-culture, anti-this, and anti-that than I am with messages that are pro-gospel.

Matthew 5:13-16, NLT

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. [14] "You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. [15] No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

I saw this statement today, "Many Christians have spent years worrying about what the culture is doing to the church."

Here is my response.

How is the church flavoring and lighting culture? After all, Jesus says we are salt. Salt flavors and creates thirst. How can we live. love others, and engage with them in such a way that we add a Christ-like flavor and create a thirst in them to know what makes us tick?

Jesus says we are light. We reflect His light, which shines in the darkness, helping people to see truth and to find their way. How can we live, love others, and engage with them in such a way that we reflect His light?

Why is the Church on the attack when people need God's love and grace?

Like young Father Duplenticy, many people are fighting a past that is suffocating the gospel of hope, mercy, and grace of Christ. Many young people are being taught more about their roles than about the liberating gospel and the way of the Messiah. Many people struggle with generational examples, abuse, addictions, and all kinds of negative voices in their heads and they are in desperate need of the voice of hope.

Let us go and flavor the culture and create a thirst for Jesus and His love. Let us go reflect His light in as much darkness as we can.

Let's go love like Jesus.