God opposes the proud. In James 4 God is clearly speaking to believers. He could simply wipe us out. If it were me there'd be a little grease spot on the floor that was Nate. He could give us leprosy, make our insides spill out, make the earth split open and swallow us, have a whale come and swallow us, etc. All things that happened to people who opposed God.
But that isn't how God works with us as believers. We know that he works all things together for those who love the Lord, that is believers. God loves us and wants what is best for us. He fights for our joy, and our joy comes from doing what we are created to do - that is find our joy in loving and bringing glory and honor to God.
How?
Problems: James 1? Count it pure joy when you encounter various trials. Trials break down pride and bring us to God, unless we resist of course. God allows us or in some cases speeds up our coming to the end of ourselves.
God allows the natural course of our actions to come full circle. Relationships are hurt, psyches are damaged and all manner of relational problems. We end up hurting ourselves and walking away from the God who loves us and from his principles that save us. We may wonder where God went, he didn't go anywhere but we've lost sensitivity to him in our quest to find happiness OUR way.
Hebrews ? says that God disciplines those he loves. Disciplines goal is not punishment but a way to bring us into the joy and happiness that God has for us. When I discipline one of my children for hitting a brother or sister, why do I do it? One major reason is that I want the kid to mature. When the kid is mature they make deal with conflict in a mature way and this leads to joy and restoration rather than jail.
To summarize this point - God opposes the proud but his purpose is to grow his kids up into maturity for their joy and his honor and glory.
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