deny … take up … follow: These three commands symbolize an extreme commitment. They mean confessing sins to God with humility, giving personal goals to God, and living by his will (see also Matthew 5:20; 10:34–39; 18:1–5; 20:20–28).
take up his cross: This is a metaphor for devotion (see Luke 9:23). It is not necessarily a command to die for one's faith, though that is always a possibility for the disciples of Jesus (Matthew 5:10–12; 10:21).
Matthew uses follow both literally (see Matthew 9:19; 26:58) and as a metaphor. Metaphorically, it shows interest in a teacher (4:25; 8:1, 10; 12:15; 14:13; 19:2; 20:29; 21:9) or personal loyalty to Jesus. This involves him summoning, a response to commit, and significant ongoing struggles (4:20, 22; 8:19, 22–23; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21, 27).