In Context:
Romans 8
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
The "Spirit" of Romans 8:1-17 very much appears to be a person to me ... a person who leads and guides and empowers ... a person who lights the way from sin to Christ and ultimately to the Father.
From my perspective, you mistake the fact that the person of the Holy Spirit also empowers the minds of human beings to see the truth, the flesh of human beings to resist sin and the souls of human beings to have a relationship with God to mean that HE is only a power ... the Holy Spirit has power and gives power, but He is also so much more.
I can see why you might think that I, quote, "mistake the fact that the person of the Holy Spirit also empowers the minds of human beings to see the truth, the flesh of human beings to resist sin ....", but no, I am way ahead of that laboring, having long ago thought that way. Seeing this was a slow process for me and I expect it will be for most others, too.
The tragedy of viewing it the way you do is that it puts our responsibility off on God. By reason of that very way of thinking many claim that the reason they do not defeat certain sins is that God sees it is not their time for it. And there are many other subtle little ways that one wrong conclusion produces other misconceptions to our minds.
You are missing out on the vital role that love plays in all of this. Love is the power to be faithful that God gives us.
1 John 5:3 For
this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:24
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Because love is the power that drives our faithfulness to be complete, our being faithful proves our love. That is why Jesus told us what he did there in John 14:21-24.
That is why our faithful works follow us: Revelation 14:13 "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and
their works do follow them."
And that is why the responsibility does rest upon us where it belongs so that God is justified to judge us by our works when those works were not faithfully done:
Repentance is in fact impossible apart from works: Acts 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that
they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For
God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and
they were judged every man according to their works.
That is why this following is the critical factor: 2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
That direction is by education in his word, which word has the spirit upon it. John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Take a look at what the first half of the following verse is really telling us: 2 Corinthians 5:14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
Notice how Weymouth New Testament renders that first part: 2 Corinthians 5:14
For the love of Christ overmasters us ....
Bible in Basic English: 2 Corinthians 5:14
For it is the love of Christ which is moving us;
"constraineth" - sunecho - to hold together, i.e. to compress (the ears, with a crowd or siege) or arrest (a prisoner); figuratively,
to compel, perplex, afflict, preoccupy:
No, it is not a person called the holy spirit that does this for us but the spirit of godly love: 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but [the spirit] of power, and [the spirit] of love, and [the spirit] of a sound mind.
Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.