Does Christianity Make Men Weak? | with Ryan Miller

Have men become weak, or have we simply forgotten what real strength looks like? Culture keeps handing men two bad options: be loud, aggressive, and impossible to control, or be quiet, passive, and out of the way. Neither one looks like Jesus. In this episode of the Gaining Ground podcast, Landon sits down with Ryan Miller, author of Meek Is a Mustang, to unpack the confusion so many men feel about their own identity. They talk about the "pendulum" men swing on between toxic masculinity and passivity, why testosterone and physical fitness have declined so sharply in young men, and how the enemy uses passivity (not just aggression) to sideline men from the fights that matter most — in their homes, their marriages, and issues like abortion. Ryan shares his own story: growing up in isolation, chasing validation through baseball and a Hollywood documentary deal, and the moment God told him to walk away from a project worth millions. That obedience led him to discover that the biblical word for "meek" is the Greek word used to describe taming a wild Mustang — not weakness, but strength fully surrendered and made useful. This is not a call to soften up. It's a call to get off the pendulum, stop performing manhood, and let God do the taming so you can actually be useful to Him. If you've ever felt like following Jesus meant losing your edge, this conversation will change how you see biblical strength for good. IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 – Does Christianity Make Men Weak? 0:54 – Ryan's State of the Union on Manhood 2:58 – How Social Algorithms Push Men Toward Confusion 3:23 – Naming the "They": Understanding Spiritual Warfare 7:17 – The Masculinity Pendulum: Savage vs. Passive 9:23 – Have Men Actually Grown Weaker? 10:04 – Feminism, Abortion, and the Passivity of Men 12:38 – The Physical and Spiritual Collapse of Young Men 15:45 – Ryan's Story: Growing Up in Chaos 17:47 – Chasing Success and Getting Back on the Pendulum 19:42 – Taming Wild Mustangs and the Birth of Chasing Wild 21:38 – Obeying God Over Hollywood and Ambition 24:18 – Losing Everything and Learning Meekness 26:03 – Discovering "Praus": The Greek Word for Meekness 29:11 – Recognizing the Wild Mustang in Yourself 30:57 – True Power Is Found Through Surrendered Weakness 32:44 – Learning Meekness from CIA Agents and Four-Star Generals 35:26 – The First Step to Becoming Meek 37:53 – Repenting of the Lies You Believe About God 41:21 – Ryan's Legacy: Fighting for the Secret Place with Jesus 43:01 – David: A Man After God's Own Heart 45:06 – Closing Prayer 🚀 START HERE! Learn more about the Gaining Ground men’s movement and how you can get involved at https://gaininggroundmen.com. ✅ ATTEND A GATHERING: Join us every First Wednesday at 6:30am in the DFW area at a Compass Church campus. These in-person gatherings are designed to help men reset, refocus, and move forward with intention. Oh, and there’s coffee and breakfast of course. Register now at https://gaininggroundmen.com/gatherings/. 👍 NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! LIKE & SUBSCRIBE: Gaining Ground | YouTube (   / @gaininggroundmen  ) Gaining Ground | Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/3pbwbzr7) Gaining Ground | Apple Podcasts (https://tinyurl.com/bp82b792) MORE FROM RYAN: Instagram (  / ryan_miller  ) TIktok (  / dudewithgoodnews  ) Youtube (   / @ryan_miller1  ) https://linktr.ee/dudewithgoodnews?ut... 📱 STAY CONNECTED: Gaining Ground | Instagram (  / gaininggroundmen  ) Landon Sherman | Instagram (  / landonjsherman  ) Drew Sherman | Instagram (  / pastor_drew  ) Compass Church | Instagram (  / mycompasschurch  ) Compass Church | Web (https://compass.church) MUSIC CREDITS: TUNISIAN FUR FriendlierBear MB01HJNB5EQQUS0