obedience
Denying self for the believer is the equivalent of putting off the old man, the old nature, or the flesh. Taking up one’s cross is remembering one’s identification with Christ’s death to the degree that one has “been crucified with him” (Rom. 6:6) and is counted dead as in Colossians 3:3 quoted above. While having been crucified with Christ by faith and receiving new life occurred once and for all at conversion, denying the old self and taking up one’s cross is to be daily. The word daily here does not just mean once during the day, but throughout the day.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Whereas the law could not enable them to do what is right, the life of Christ in believers enables them to do so. As believers deny self and lose their life for His sake, they are following what Paul wrote in Romans 12: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God
Romans 12:1-2
That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman