If one does not Deny himself, Take Up the Cross and Closely Follow the Lord but instead does things according to the desires of his soul in order to satisfy it, there will come a time when he shall lose his soul even though he may have gained the entire world.
Though he may gain many pleasures by following his own desires, eventually, says the Lord, he will have to pay back through losing all pleasures of his soul.
To lose the soul now is far better than to lose it at the end.