The mace deployed as a weapon (7)
I believe the answer is:
machete
'a weapon' is the definition.
(machete is a kind of weapon)
'the mace deployed' is the wordplay.
'deployed' indicates anagramming the letters.
'the'+'mace'='themace'
'themace' is an anagram of 'MACHETE'.
'as' is the link.
(Other definitions for machete that I've seen before include "Cheat me over broad heavy knife used in jungle" , "Jungle chopper" , "Teach me with large jungle knife" , "Broad heavy knife common in Central America" , "Heavy South American knife" .)