"While men and women remain bound by their church traditions, truth kept secret from the foundation of the world remains hidden to them. They read, but perceive nothing. Eyes they have, but they see not. Ears they have, but they hear not. Hearts they have, but they do not understand. Natural-minded men read of the “kings of the earth” and can only conceive of the outward and the literal. To them it bespeaks the actual kings, prime ministers, and presidents of the visible nations of earth. Though there is on one level a fulfillment in the outer world of appearance, the quickening of the spirit upon the truth so vital for God’s elect bids me look beyond the letter of the word, and receiving of the spirit of the word, and turning inwardly, we find that all that pertains to the kingdoms of this world lies within the heart of man, and there have been so many kings which have ruled within us, and as His kingdom unfurls its banner over our lives, these kings are subdued and brought to nought."
"There have been within all of us many usurping kings, possessed of the bestial spirit of this world, who are so very subtle, very powerful warriors, and very acute disputants. Each of us is like a huge, elaborate palace just full of these kings! Beloved! Examine yourself — do you not find this to be true? What mighty, powerful, persuasive, unwearied rulerships and dominions exercise their authorities within the courts of our souls and bodies, what strange, strong, and subtle reasonings are there? Insomuch that the old Adamic man carries all before him, and these lusts, these desires, these emotions, these imaginations, these reasonings, these habits, these religious inclinations, these compromises, these selfish and self-serving tendencies, these ruling kings of carnality bear away the day of it, and tread down all that stands in their way; by their false logic, their cunning sophistry, their deluding craftiness, and their powerful affection they run rough-shod over the voice of the spirit, over the word of God, over the ways of righteousness, and right over the revealed will of the Lord."
Larger study in the link:
Again, Ray Prinzing has so beautifully expounded along this line that I am compelled to share a portion. “Many a battle has been fought and won, though devils were not rebuked, and there was no writhing on the floor in intense travail, nor any challenge by an antagonist against the truth believed — it was all INTERNAL. Battles of the mind, battles of inner spirit conflict, a warfare against the vision, against the thing which God had personally revealed, but which the flesh was not ready to receive and walk in. And while we would ‘reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord,’ yet only HE can complete this work in us and make it an experiential reality. So we surrender, and He works it out. ‘Now why dost thou cry aloud? IS THERE NO KING IN THEE? Is thy counselor perished?’ (Micah 4:9). Israel was desperate, she was in travail, in pain to bring forth, and was crying out in her distress. God answered back, ‘IS THERE NO KING IN THEE?’ Praise God, there is One in the midst of us who shall take the reins of the government, and He shall rule in righteousness, so that we eagerly await the emergence of His kingdom. It is our own little INNER KINGDOM that needs the King, so it is to this realm that we ask the question, and praise God, can answer back positively, YES THERE IS A KING WITHIN!”