Whether it's Satan, Loki, or Hermes, it's all the same thing. What is really being referred to is the part of ourselves that we don't like to show to the public, but which we also have to grapple with to become better, more integrated people.
In mythology, even in the Old Testament, the Satan symbol was a partner of sorts with God. He was part of the royal court, you might say, and he had a vital role to play. He tested man. What was the result of the test? Well that depended on the response of the person being tested. If they accepted the challenge and did what was right in the face of adversity, they were rewarded (e.g. Job).
The lesson here is that when we face challenges in life, our response determines whether we grow as a person or arrest our development and remain in a state of immaturity.
What if our heroes never left home? What if Bilbo or Frodo stayed in the Shire? What if Theseus never faced the Minotaur? What if Darth Vader never threw the Emperor down that long electric tube thingy. Well, the stories would be boring, just like the lives of small men are boring.
The story of God vs. Satan is the story of man vs. himself. All the stories of angels destroying dragons is the story of man finally gaining victory over his passions and living his life with a clear conscience. It's a journey toward unity with oneself.
Looking for these symbols in myths and religion should only serve to see them better in ourselves. We are the stories being told.
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