At eleven years old, Elijah plays tricks on my wife and myself which are typical eleven year old shenanigans. I used to play them myself, but not quite as much as my son does. It appears that I am reaping a larger harvest than I sowed. One of those tricks, is something which I am sure has enlivened every home filled with boys. The game works basically like this: Hide from your parents, and jump out to scare them when they least expect it. I've become quite adept at scoping out a room for the tell-tale signs of my hidden attacker, but the older he gets the more sophisticated his sneakery becomes, and the more pleasure he seems to experience when he sees me jump out of my skin.

"Ha, I scared you."
"No way, I knew you were there the whole time."
"Yeah, sure dad."

O, how I wish the tricks of the devil were as innocent and harmless as the games my son plays. But, they are not. The devil is playing for keeps, and he has had the whole course of human history to perfect his treachery.

I have seen, and experienced many of the traps which the devil lays before us. As a pastor of a small church, I have been able to recognize the ways in which Satan brings leaders, and the members of the small church into the captivity which negates the effectiveness of the church.

The very nature of the small church makes it susceptible to certain attacks which may not be nearly as common in the larger church. There are many of these snares which are common to all church life, but even these similar ploys may require a different response from the small church.

Here are some of the potential captivities I have seen and/or experienced, as a leader of a smaller congregation:

The Victimization Trap - We live in a country which has fallen into this trap. If someone is smaller, different, or "less privileged" than another, it seems to give them license to feel as though someone out there owes them something. I have seen small church leaders fall into this mentality, and it is deadly.

Isolation - The loneliness of leadership can be enough to ensnare us into isolation. The size and dynamics of the small church can potentially intensify this situation.

The Maintenance Mentality - When the small church tries to do everything that "a church is supposed to do," the leaders may end up working their tails off, just to keep up with the status quo. In this trap, real progress seldom occurs.

Visionlessness - "What need is there for vision, when something is small enough to easily see what needs to be done?" That is just how the devil would like us to feel.

"The Slough of Despond" - In John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, the story's hero, Christian, sunk into the Slough of Despond. The people of the small church often do the same when faced with seasons of self-reflection. Discouragement is a trap the devil delights to see us mired within.

Over (or Under)-Extension - Over extending the finances hurts small and large churches alike. Failure to take the chances which lead to success can be just as harmful. This principle does not apply just to money either.

The "Do It Yourself" Snare - When you have few leaders, it seems easier to do it yourself. After all, you know that it will get done right. This is a trap which surely leads to impotency in the life of the church. God's desire is for 100% of the people to be doing the work of the ministry.

Each of these traps is a powerful tool of the devil, used to bring a church into the captivity of fruitlessness. They deserve deeper treatment than this cursory discussion allows, and so over the following articles we will be looking into the tricks of the enemy, and the weaknesses of the flesh, which draw us into the captivity of fruitlessness. You see, unlike the innocent games of an eleven year old, the Old Serpent is playing for keeps.