I wonder what "always losing" really means. Imagine you face a superior force, and you lead your forces to fight defensively while bleeding the enemy until you eventually retreat. You've technically lost the battle, but if you manage to cause enough damage to the enemy while preserving your own strength, your "defeat" could well give you a strategic advantage. If you then eventually corner the enemy and they surrender without a battle, you would have effectively won the war while losing all the battles.