.Of righteousness: Righteousness means, right standing with God, integrity, holiness, purity of life, sincerity of piety.
The breast plate defended the vital parts of the body; and the idea here may be, that a Christian¡¯s right standing with God, integrity of life, and righteousness of character, is as necessary to defend him from the assaults of Satan, as the breast plate was to preserve the heart from the arrows of an enemy. It is true that no one can successfully meet the power of temptation without standing right with God, just as a soldier could not defend himself against an enemy without a breastplate. When a Christian lacks integrity, it will expose him to the assaults of the enemy just as a soldier would be whose breast plate was defective.

For example, the breast plate of the king of 1sreal was defective or faulty and because of this he was smitten by an arrow sent from a bow, ¡°between the joints of his harness¡±, or the ¡°breast plate¡± I king22:34; many Christians who think they are putting on their breastplate are smitten in the same way because of some defects in their character, lack of integrity and unguarded moments in their lives. Where ever the enemy sees a loop hole that will surely be the point of his attack. So David was tempted to commit the enormous sins that stain his memory, and Peter to deny his Lord.

So it happened to Judas through his avarice because he lacked the armour of righteousness; in the same way, some ministers of the gospel who lack integrity in a simple point, have been tempted and have fallen. We need righteousness which God alone can give-the righteousness of God our savior¡­to make us perfectly invulnerable to all the arrows of the enemy.