by Shari McMinn

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole Armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole Armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the Gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak  (Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV).

The Whole Armor of God: Piece by Piece

My husband and I raised our “farm tough” sons and daughters to be resilient, to get up when they hit the ground and keep on with life. It didn’t matter if they were bucked off a horse, cut by barbed wire fencing, trampled over by sheep or goats, wrestled to the hard ground during a sibling squabble, or greatly disappointed by the heartbreak of a friendship gone sour. We acknowledged their anger, frustration, emotional hurt, and even physical pain.

Then we encouraged forgiveness if another person was involved, repentance for their own sinful part, and moving forward together as a family while following the Lord’s leading. As adults, our children are now determined, diligent, perseverant, self-governing, and building productive lives despite the ongoing personal trials of modern life.

However, as part of that resilience strategy for my children, I regret that we didn’t more explicitly teach each of them how to “put on the whole Armor of God” as well. Although we read the Bible nearly every day and regularly attended Bible-preaching churches, our children were still fiercely attacked by the real-life dragons of “the world.” These attacks came as they began to emerge from the protective cocoon of our rural homeschool and encounter life outside our home.

My late husband — before he joined Jesus Christ in Glory — and I would pray for our children to endure and learn from the hard times that all families face. Yet, in retrospect, we should have — could have — done more to further prepare them for the real spiritual battle raging in this world, both inside and outside our homes. 

What does it look like for us all to “put on the whole Armor of God,” piece by piece?

1. 1. The Belt of Truth: Central to our Armor, it girds us with God’s Holy Word, the Bible.
   2. The Breastplate of Righteousness:  Living by the Word of God protects our vital “heart.”
   3. The Shoes of Readiness: Readiness enables us to stand upright and strong for God’s Gospel of Peace.
   4. The Shield of Faith: Faith deflects enemy attacks; locking our shields with others protects us as a unit.
   5. The Helmet of Salvation: Our head/mind/soul are protected when we know Christ as Savior and Lord.
   6. The Sword of the Spirit: God’s Spirit living in us slays “the enemy” of this world.

Once we are covered in His Armor, we should pray individually and together “without ceasing,” inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us, especially when the enemy attacks as we follow Christ. 

Prayer is the number one thing I now practice throughout the day for myself, and on behalf of my adult children, my grandchildren, my church, our nation, and the “lost” of this world. Before an enemy attack, I pray proactively for His protection and give Him praise for all things. During the enemy’s attacks (arguments, rebellion, and sins of lying, slothfulness, stealing, etc.) I pray for God’s mercy and for us to learn quickly what He wants us to know. After the attack, I praise Him for His grace and forgiveness. Bad things will happen for sure, but we can put on His Armor, seek Him in the battle, and praise Him always.

Practically Putting on the Whole Armor of God

Putting on the whole Armor of God in this modern age of cultural confusion, Scripture misinterpretation, and downright evil creeping into our education and media institutions — even into the conservative Christian homeschooling world — should involve the following for you and your family:

Daily

• Pray with your spouse or by yourself before you get out of bed or leave your bedroom.
• Pray with thanks (often called “saying Grace”) with your family before you start every meal.
• Conduct family Bible devotions during breakfast or as your student begins his/her school day.
• Use a curriculum that upholds God’s Word, the Bible, as the authority in all things, including character, civics, history, language, math, and science (Abeka, BJU Press/Homeworks, Generations, Master Books, and Portals Education, to name a few “full curriculum” providers).
• Discuss with your family members their behaviors (good and bad) and what the Bible says about those actions and/or choices.
• Pray one-on-one with each family member, thank God for them, seeking Him to correct sin

Weekly

• Attend Sabbath worship at a Bible-preaching church that kindly welcomes your unique family.
• Spend time as a family in fun, pleasant, interactive fellowship — outdoors whenever possible.
• Dedicate time to pray as a family so you can:

1. 1. Praise Father God for creating your family with a plan and purpose for each member to bring Him glory, His plan of Salvation through Christ Jesus, with the Holy Spirit to help us.
   2. Thank the Lord God for all things good and bad that happened the past week.
   3. Thank the Lord God for each family member by name and how they bless the family.
   4. Confession of sin(s) by the parents with opportunities for children to confess their sins.
   5. Ask the Lord’s help to correct character flaws and sinful behaviors in your family. (CAUTION: Do not single out anyone by name — except yourself — during group prayer.)
   6. Ask God to help each family member to seek and do His will for them this coming week.

Resources for Helping You and Your Children Put on the Whole Armor of God

• Check out this biblically based, hands-on activity with video and printables to teach your children (geared for younger children but for all ages) for Putting on the Whole Armor of God. 
• Disciple your children with this Generations audio resource by downloading the “FREE Starter Kit”, then choosing an episode that is relevant for your family this week: Teach Me the Faith.
• Tune into this Generations podcast: Raising Spiritually and Emotionally Healthy Kids. 
• Register NOW for FREE to ATTEND The Homeschool Teaching Online Summit event from the comfort of your home on October 19-23, 2026. Multiple sessions on Thursday, October 22, are provided for Unique Learner homeschool families:
  • Dr. Kathy Koch, Celebrate Kids: 8 Great Smarts: Tailoring to Your Children’s Learning Abilities
  • Rachael Carman, Apologia: What About “That” Child? Reaching the Heart Behind the Behavior
  • Nathan Hamilton, Kids Enjoying Jesus: Hyperactive Help! Teaching the Child Who Can’t Sit Still – The Power of Play
  • Dr. Amy Moore, LearningRx: When Learning Is Hard: Real Help for the Struggling Learner
  • Hal & Melanie Young, Raising Arrows: Homeschooling Boys and Girls – Teaching to How God Made Them

Finally, if you did not participate in our Unique Learners Survey earlier this year, you can do so now. We will offer this poll as an ongoing assessment of Unique Learner needs in the homeschool community in Colorado and beyond so that CHEC can continue to meet the needs of our constituents. 

My next Unique Learner blog, “Holiday Plans for Involving Asocial Children,” will be posted on November 11, 2026 (the second Wednesday).

Shari McMinn, your trusted homeschooling friend  

P.S. If you have a topic I should write about, please email me with your suggestion(s). This blog is for you!

About the Author: Shari McMinn

Shari Howard McMinn is a mother to 11 children through marriage, birth, and adoption. An advocate for adoption, homeschooling, nurtured childhoods, and unique learners, she enjoys mentoring parents and serving in her church. Widowed while still raising and homeschooling her five youngest children, Shari was invited to work part-time for Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) in 2015 to supplement her family’s income. Currently, she is CHEC’s Advertising Manager, Homeschool Update magazine Editor, Unique Learner Advisor, and the Exhibitor and Sponsor Chair for CHEC’s annual in-person Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference and Homeschool Summits biannual virtual events. After 45 years of life in Colorado, she now works remotely from her home in southwest Florida. Shari is a Colson Fellow who seeks to live out her faith in community while she follows her Savior, Jesus Christ.