Next thing you know Jesus was right the entire time. Deny yourself, which means empty yourself and destroy all altered egos.

I think deny yourself refers to denying the temptations of your flesh so you don’t sin and also to give up what is in the world that you have for Jesus.

It has both literal and symbolic significance, in that some disciples of Christ were actually killed for their beliefs and denied the comfort of a worldly life, that the sacrifices people have to make to follow Jesus on individual levels to change to be like Him.