How about it if you have the option to specify the zip file?

README.md

@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ $ node-lambda deploy --help
     -A, --packageDirectory []            Local package directory
     -x, --excludeGlobs []                Add a space separated list of file(type)s to ignore (e.g. "*.json .env")
     -D, --prebuiltDirectory []           Prebuilt directory
+    -z, --deployZipfile []               Deploy zipfile
 ```
 
 ## Custom Environment Variables

bin/node-lambda

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ var EVENT_FILE = process.env.EVENT_FILE || 'event.json';
 var PACKAGE_DIRECTORY = process.env.PACKAGE_DIRECTORY;
 var CONTEXT_FILE = process.env.CONTEXT_FILE || 'context.json';
 var PREBUILT_DIRECTORY = process.env.PREBUILT_DIRECTORY || '';
+var DEPLOY_ZIPFILE = process.env.DEPLOY_ZIPFILE || '';
 
 program
   .command('deploy')
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ program
   .option('-x, --excludeGlobs [' + EXCLUDE_GLOBS + ']',
     'Space-separated glob pattern(s) for additional exclude files (e.g. "event.json dotenv.sample")', EXCLUDE_GLOBS)
   .option('-D, --prebuiltDirectory [' + PREBUILT_DIRECTORY + ']', 'Prebuilt directory', PREBUILT_DIRECTORY)
+  .option('-z, --deployZipfile [' + DEPLOY_ZIPFILE + ']', 'Deploy zipfile', DEPLOY_ZIPFILE)
   .action(function (prg) {
     lambda.deploy(prg);
   });

lib/main.js

@@ -344,7 +344,18 @@ Lambda.prototype._uploadNew = function (lambda, params, cb) {
   });
 };
 
+Lambda.prototype._readArchive = function (program, archive_callback) {
+  if (!fs.existsSync(program.deployZipfile)) {
+    var err = new Error('No such Zipfile [' + program.deployZipfile + ']');
+    return archive_callback(err);
+  }
+  fs.readFile(program.deployZipfile, archive_callback);
+},
+
 Lambda.prototype._archive = function (program, archive_callback) {
+  if (program.deployZipfile && fs.existsSync(program.deployZipfile)) {
+    return this._readArchive(program, archive_callback);
+  }
   return program.prebuiltDirectory ?
     this._archivePrebuilt(program, archive_callback) :
     this._buildAndArchive(program, archive_callback);