When we declared independence from God, we did not achieve genuine autonomy or independence. That is impossible for a creature. What we did was to trade the freedom to grow holy under the care and direction of a loving Creator for the cruel bondage of an idol and ultimately of the devil himself. Because of our sinfulness, we see subjection to God in Christ as bondage whereas it is actually the only true freedom. This is the new consciousness that we need so desperately.
Human life is dependent life.
We are held in being every instant by the loving power of the Word of God. We need not fear the loss of our identity or the shrinking of our personality when we take Christ's yoke upon us. The God who makes every snowflake unique is fully able to make us all we are capable of being if we will but have Him and not the idols for our God. We will never be so much ourselves as when we are most completely yielded to Him. Calvin's comment is relevant here.