Was becoming part of the ‘Establishment’ a difficult transition for the Church?

I hope this doesn’t seem like a stupid question, as the end of persecutions and access to much greater numbers of potential converts would suggest that Constantine’s conversion was of great benefit to Christianity. However, the character of the early Church was forged by its existence in a hostile society, and I wondered if it lost some of its strength once it became part of mainstream Roman culture? With people converting for career advancement, and bishops gaining more secular power, were the original Christian messages watered down?