There is a tendency in the modern Christian world, even among conservative voices, to speak of the Holy Spirit in ways the Bible never does. We must proceed with caution on this matter to avoid the same mistake. 

We all understand that the term “spirit” is defined by the context. It could be the Holy Spirit, or it could be the person’s spirit (i.e., spiritual mindedness vs. carnal mindedness), or it could even be the overall attitude or ‘spirit’ of the individual. The context is critical to determining which one Paul is addressing. The term is found in Romans thirty-four times. 

Take the first chapter’s usage as a test case for this point: Rom. 1:4, “who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” and Rom. 1:9, “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you.” The first usage is, contextually, most likely the Holy Spirit. The second usage is connected to the possessive determiner, “my” and thus would be Paul’s personal spirit. We must proceed with caution and care as we determine which is being used in the particular text. 

There are a couple of points that are clearly presented in Romans that relate to the Holy Spirit. (1) He is fully and completely God; He reflects all the attributes of God (see  “holy”: Rom. 1:4; 5:5; 14:17; 15:13, 16). (2) He is able and willing to help us (see “power,” “peace,” “joy,” “love,” an agent of sanctification and intercession: 8:26; 14:17; 15:13, 16, 19, 30). 

God wants His people to faithfully serve Him. The entire Godhead is involved in the process of salvation. God the Father orchestrated the plan by which mankind could be justified. God the Son enacted the plan by going to the cross and being raised as the source of mankind’s justification. God the Spirit is the revelator that reveals the plan through the written word. God wants mankind saved. 

Chapter eight uses the term “spirit” in both capacities, as Spirit (i.e., Holy Spirit) and spirit (i.e., man’s personal spirit, or man’s disposition). Consider Rom. 8:5-7a, “For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so…” 

The Spirit presents the manner of conduct God expects from His redeemed people. This lifestyle is called being spiritually minded. We are buried with Christ in baptism and are raised to live in a new manner (Rom. 6:3-4). The Spirit reveals this truth and lights the path by which we can stay holy. Each person who lives can intentionally focus on the spiritual things of life and after initial obedience to the gospel remain faithful to King Jesus (see Rom. 6:3-4; 8:1-8; Col. 3:1-4). This gives us assurance as adopted children that our Father is truly good and we can cry out to Him (8:12-17). We may not know all the ways in which the Spirit helps us, but the NT clearly teaches that He does (e.g., 8:26-27). God wants mankind saved. The Father, the Son, and certainly the Spirit are all invested in this redemptive process.