Outcomes are always (eventually) bad in this mortal life - but (for Christians) that's not the point!

From a this-worldly perspective, all possible outcomes are bad; because we will all die (and very probably will suffer on the way). 

This is a world of entropy, in which change and decay, disease, corruption and death will eventually end all love, all that is divinely created.

This is the nature of our mortal lives - if our perspective is bounded by mortal life; by our birth and death. 

This is vital to the question of taking side. 

If you are focused (whether consciously, or not) on choosing the 'winning side' to fight on; you will (like Saruman) always choose the side of evil, later if not sooner - since, no matter how big a battle is won by Good, evil will always eventually win In This World. 

This is why all the this-worldly-atheist-leftists eventually defect to the side of evil: to them, it is futile (and humiliating) to support a 'losing' cause. 

But if we take into account everlasting resurrected life in Heaven; we can readily see that what matters is Not the worldly outcome, but what we do, the choices we make, the virtues (love, courage, hope, faith etc.) that we exhibit during our time on earth.  

For those who choose Heaven; all virtuous choices are 'rewarded' - regardless of the eventual, inevitable, bad-outcome.