Are religious maxims definitions or equilibria?

"There is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up when he resists and strives against God." - John Calvin

One thing I've always wondered about the aphorisms employed in churches is whether or not the speakers would endorse the reversal of that statement as a handle for living. For example, does the above phrase imply that someone mired in misery has been resisting and striving against God? Does an absence of misery imply the presence of God? If so, is reducing personal misery a workable spiritual kludge?

I can imagine how nonreligious would reply to this question, but I'm curious as to what religious people think.